Abstract: Dermal neurofibroma, in particular Neurofibromatosis Type I (NF1) leads to progressive tumor proliferation with no known mechanism to inhibit growth. The present invention relates to the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) for attenuating tumor growth in NF1 patients. More particularly the invention provides a method of treating dermal neurofibroma comprising topically applying a pharmaceutical composition comprising a photosensitizer to the affected area of a patient, incubating the affected area, and irradiating the affected area with a light of suitable wavelength as per the photosensitizer used, wherein the treatment is characterized by inhibiting the progression of tumor growth and/or reduction in tumor size and/or increased mortality rate of the neurofibroma cell.

Abstract: A system and method for providing a dose of irradiating light for a therapeutic process includes identifying an internal target area of a patient affected by a pathology and irradiating an externally accessible area of the patient proximate to the internal target area with a number of photons at least having wavelengths approximately within a near-infrared (IR) band. The method also includes receiving feedback from one of a spectrophotometer and a patient physiology monitoring system and adjusting the number of photons irradiating the externally accessible area of the patient. From the feedback, a determination is made to identify the number of photons needed to irradiate the externally accessible area of the patient to cause a change in biochemical state of cytochrome oxidase in the internal target area to a desired biochemical state of cytochrome oxidase in the internal target area.