Application of diode lasers in light-oxygen cancer therapy

Singlet oxygen is the lowest energy electronic excited state of the oxygen molecule which is able to damage living cells. This property has long been used for the sensitized destruction of tumors in photodynamic cancer therapy. Here it is shown that similar results can be achieved without photosensitizers by using the light-oxygen effect. High-power continuous-wave (cw) diode lasers emitting within the absorption bands of dissolved molecular oxygen are most appropriate for light-oxygen cancer therapy.