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Background: This systematic review assessed the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in patients with recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC)., Methods: Clinical studies on recurrent OSCC treated with PDT alone were included. Combined treatment strategies were excluded. The search was performed on Medline/Pubmed, Cochrane Library, Embase, Web of Science and ClinicalTrials.gov, manual search, and grey literature., Results: The eleven included studies were observational. The risk of bias and methodological quality were evaluated using the Newcastle-Ottawa Quality Assessment Scale. The studies reported the use of hematoporphyrin derivative, Photofrin Ⓡ , Foscan Ⓡ and 5-aminolevulinic acid. Data on treatment response and survival was collected. Secondarily, postoperative courses and patient's quality of life/acceptance were reported whenever available. Photofrin Ⓡ and Foscan Ⓡ were the most used photosensitisers, with more complete responses. Lesions responding less favourably were on posterior regions or deep-seated in the tissue., Conclusions: Although treatment response differs between treatment protocols, PDT stands as a viable treatment option to be considered, as it can achieve therapeutic results and disease-free, long-lasting periods. Partial treatment responses may be of interest when achieving eligibility for other treatment strategies. Despite this study's limitations, which considered four photosensitisers, Photofrin Ⓡ was the most used but more recent photosensitisers like Foscan Ⓡ have greater chemical stability, tissue penetration, and may be more efficacious on recurrent OSCC., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest None, (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: This review aims to systematically examine the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy for the treatment of patients with recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma., Introduction: Oral squamous cell carcinoma is a significant public health problem, and is the seventh most common cancer. Its incidence is mainly due to tobacco use, alcohol consumption, and HPV infection. The survival rates are poor due to diagnosis at advanced stages, with high recurrence rates. Although current evidence does not point to photodynamic therapy as a first-line option, this treatment might be suitable for treating recurrent stages of the cancer where conventional treatments were ineffective. Despite the potential of photodynamic therapy, there is a need to verify the scientific evidence to support its indication for the treatment of recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma., Inclusion Criteria: This review will consider studies on any stage of recurrent oral squamous cell carcinoma treated with photodynamic therapy after receiving first-line conventional treatments. Patients of any age, gender, and geographic location will be included. The primary outcomes will be to evaluate response to treatment, focusing on remission, recurrence, change in size of the lesion, alleviation of symptoms, and survival. Secondary outcomes will be postoperative complications, presence of necrosis, patient quality of life after treatment, and patient satisfaction., Methods: Studies will be searched using a combination of index terms and keywords in MEDLINE, Cochrane Central, Web of Science, Embase, and ClinicalTrials.gov. No date limits will be applied. Articles written in English, French, Spanish, or Portuguese will be considered. Findings will be provided as a narrative synthesis, structured around the photodynamic therapy protocol used. A meta-analysis is planned and subgroup analysis will be conducted if possible. The certainty of findings will be assessed., Systematic Review Registration Number: PROSPERO CRD42020141075., Competing Interests: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 JBI.)