Photodynamic therapy may effectively treat superficial esophageal cancer and Barrett's esophagus. The treatment begins with an injection of a light sensitive medication. Your normal body cells can get rid of this medication, but precancerous and cancerous cells in your esophagus cannot, so it accumulates in these tissues and makes them sensitive to light. Two days after the injection, your doctor inserts an endoscope — a long, flexible instrument — into the diseased area of your esophagus. The light from a laser on the endoscope activates the medication, killing the light sensitive cancerous cells.

This medication will make all the cells in your body light sensitive, so talk to your doctor about how you can avoid sunlight for up to 6 weeks after the treatment.