Non-Surgical Skin Cancer Treatment · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) for Skin Cancer and Sun Damage in Brisbane
A non-surgical treatment for selected skin cancers, such as superficial BCC and Bowen's disease, and for sun damage and actinic keratoses. A light-sensitising cream is switched on by a controlled light, and for many skin cancers Dr Mitch adds a laser step first so the cream reaches deeper. Planned by our specialist dermatologists.
Specialist consultations from $395 · Nurse-led PDT priced per site · Dermatologist-led PDT priced on assessment · See fees
A dermatologist-led clinic, founded by Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD, who has fellowship training in cutaneous oncology and laser surgery and teaches laser to dermatologists and registrars.
Meet Dr MitchPDT at a Glance
What Is Photodynamic Therapy (PDT)?
The short answer: photodynamic therapy, or PDT, is a non-surgical treatment for some very shallow skin cancers and for sun-damaged skin. A light-sensitising cream is applied, left to soak in, then switched on with a controlled light. Abnormal cells take up more of the cream than normal skin, so the light damages them while sparing more of the healthy skin around them.
PDT is mainly used for two things. The first is field treatment of sun damage: an area such as the forehead, scalp or forearms covered in rough, scaly actinic keratoses, plus the damaged skin between them that hasn't formed a spot yet. The second is focal treatment of a biopsy-proven superficial skin cancer, such as Bowen's disease (an early squamous cell carcinoma confined to the top layer of skin) or a superficial basal cell carcinoma (BCC).
It isn't a cosmetic facial, and it isn't suitable for every skin cancer. Deeper or more aggressive cancers need surgery. That's why every PDT plan at DERM Skin Specialists starts with a dermatologist confirming what each spot is.
We see patients from Mount Gravatt and across Brisbane's southside, including Holland Park, Carindale, Upper Mount Gravatt and Sunnybank.
How it works
Laser-assisted PDT vs conventional PDT
Same cream, same red light. The difference is how far the cream gets in.
Laser-assisted PDT
- The area is cleaned, any scale is gently removed and the spot is numbed. A quick pass of a fractional laser, either our CO2 laser or the LaseMD ULTRA, then makes tiny channels in the top layer of skin.
- The light-sensitising cream goes on under a light-blocking dressing for about an hour. The channels let more of it reach the abnormal cells, which take up more cream than normal skin.
- Red light from our Healite II LED panel shines on the area for about 30 minutes. It switches the cream on, and the abnormal cells break down over the following days.
- Red and crusty for about a week, with a little more redness and flaking than conventional PDT. Stay out of strong light for about 48 hours. Skin cancers usually need 2 sessions, 6 weeks apart.
Conventional PDT
- The area is cleaned and any scale is gently removed, so the cream can soak in. There is no laser step.
- The same cream goes on under a light-blocking dressing for about an hour. It soaks in through the skin’s surface, so it mainly reaches abnormal cells near the top.
- The same red light, for about 30 minutes. Cells that took up the cream break down. Cells the cream barely reached are less affected.
- Red and crusty for about a week. Stay out of strong light for about 48 hours. Usually 1 session for sun damage, 2 for skin cancers. In thicker spots, deeper cells can remain, so we review you and re-treat or use another option.
Simplified illustration, not to scale. Suitability and results vary between people.
One spot or a whole field
What Can PDT Treat?
PDT works on abnormal cells close to the surface. It suits thin, flat problems, not thick or deep ones.
Actinic keratoses and field sun damage
Actinic keratoses (also called solar keratoses or sunspots) are rough, scaly patches on sun-exposed skin. Some turn into squamous cell carcinoma, and you can't tell which by looking. PDT treats the whole area, including spots you can't see yet. One session is often enough.
Bowen's disease (intraepidermal carcinoma)
An early squamous cell carcinoma confined to the top layer of skin, seen as a red, scaly patch. Once a biopsy confirms it, PDT is a recognised option, especially where you'd rather avoid a scar or a wound that heals slowly. Usually two sessions. More on Bowen's disease and SCC.
Superficial basal cell carcinoma
A type of BCC that spreads sideways across the surface rather than growing down. Thin, low-risk superficial BCCs can be treated with PDT, and laser-assisted PDT can also suit selected nodular BCCs. Usually two sessions, then close follow-up. More on BCC treatment.
What PDT doesn't treat
- Infiltrative or other deeper BCCs
- Invasive squamous cell carcinoma
- Melanoma, or any spot that might be melanoma
- Thick, horny keratoses, unless they are treated another way first
If a spot doesn't fit, we'll say so and explain the other options. More on skin cancer surgery.
Clearance first, cosmetics second
What Results Can You Expect From PDT?
For actinic keratoses, most treated spots clear after one session, and the skin often looks smoother once it heals. New spots can still appear in later years, because the underlying sun damage remains.
For Bowen's disease and superficial BCC, PDT clears many, but not all, cancers, and surgery has a higher cure rate for BCC. PDT's advantages are little or no scarring and the ability to treat a large or awkward area.
Published results. In a published UK series of 177 biopsy-proven BCCs, 97.1% were still clear an average of 32 months after CO2 laser-assisted PDT (Annals of Plastic Surgery, 2014), and the same unit reported 93.6% still clear at 5 years (Annals of the Royal College of Surgeons of England, 2021).
Results vary between people.
Is PDT Right for You?
PDT tends to suit you if you have lots of actinic keratoses in one area, keep having spots frozen in the same places, or have a biopsy-proven Bowen's disease or superficial BCC in a spot where you'd rather avoid a scar or a slow-healing wound.
It also suits people who found a prescription field cream too hard to live with. It's less suited to a single thick spot, deeper cancers, or anyone who can't come back for follow-up.
Before we treat, we check each spot with a dermatoscope (and a biopsy where needed), your medical history, your skin type, and whether you get cold sores. If you do, we'll plan for it.
PDT may not suit you if you
- Have porphyria or another condition made worse by light
- Have had a reaction to the cream or its ingredients before
- Are pregnant or breastfeeding
- Have a spot that hasn't been diagnosed yet
- Can't keep the area out of the light for the next day or two
Same idea, three ways to switch it on
Conventional, Daylight or Laser-Assisted PDT: What's the Difference?
All three use a light-sensitising cream. They differ in how the cream gets in and what light switches it on.
Conventional PDT
Suits: actinic keratoses on the face, scalp, arms and hands, and biopsy-proven superficial skin cancers.
The cream is applied and covered for about an hour, then the area sits under red light from our Healite II LED panel for about 30 minutes. It's the most predictable version, and the one we use for skin cancers, but it stings the most.
Daylight PDT
Suits: thinner actinic keratoses spread over the face or scalp, and people who want less pain.
After the cream goes on, you spend about two hours outside in daylight, which switches it on slowly. It hurts far less and works nearly as well for mild spots, but depends on the weather and isn't used for skin cancers.
Laser-Assisted PDT
Suits: thicker or stubborn actinic keratoses, heavy field sun damage, and selected biopsy-proven Bowen's disease, superficial BCCs and nodular BCCs.
Before the cream goes on, a quick pass of a fractional laser, either our CO2 laser or the LaseMD ULTRA, makes tiny channels in the top layer of skin, so more cream reaches the abnormal cells. The photo shows skin straight after a LaseMD pass. The cream and light steps then follow as usual. Dr Mitch uses this approach for many skin cancer cases. Expect a little more redness and flaking. More on LaseMD.
Non-Surgical Skin Cancer Treatment: Can PDT Replace Surgery?
People often ask whether a skin cancer can be treated without surgery. For some, it can. PDT, including laser-assisted PDT, is one of the main non-surgical options for a biopsy-proven superficial BCC or Bowen's disease, alongside prescription creams and, for some spots, freezing. For most other skin cancers, surgery is still the right first choice.
Is surgery better? For many basal cell carcinomas, yes. Cutting a cancer out and checking it under the microscope gives the highest chance of cure and confirms it's gone. Infiltrative and other deeper BCCs usually need surgery.
PDT earns its place when the cancer is thin and low risk and surgery has real downsides: a large patch, a spot where a wound would heal slowly, several cancers at once, or someone who would rather avoid a scar and accepts a higher chance of recurrence.
Every option is on the table at your consultation, including surgery, freezing and prescription creams. If PDT isn't the right fit, we'll tell you. More on skin cancer surgery.
Dr Mitch on PDT
"When a biopsy confirms a superficial skin cancer, the next question is usually, 'Do I need it cut out?' Sometimes the answer is yes. But for the right lesion, in the right spot, there are non-surgical options that can clear the cancer while keeping scarring and downtime to a minimum."
"The point is simple: treat precisely, heal well, and keep follow-up tight so we can be confident in the outcome."
From Dr Mitch's own notes on focal PDT.
What Happens on the Day of PDT?
Allow about two hours in the clinic for conventional PDT.
Prepare
The area is cleaned and any scale is gently removed, so the cream can soak in. For laser-assisted PDT, a quick pass of our CO2 laser or the LaseMD ULTRA is done now. Photos are taken so we can compare later.
Cream
The light-sensitising cream is applied and covered with a dressing that blocks light. You wait about an hour while it's absorbed. Bring something to read.
Light
The dressing comes off and the area sits under the red LED light for about 30 minutes, or in daylight for daylight PDT. Then it's covered, and you go home with an aftercare sheet.
Does PDT Hurt?
Conventional PDT usually stings. Most people describe burning, prickling or heat while the light is on, strongest in the first few minutes. The scalp and forehead, and large areas with lots of spots, usually feel it most. The stinging fades over the next few hours, and the skin may feel hot and tender that evening.
Daylight PDT is much more comfortable, because the light builds up slowly.
How we keep you comfortable
- A cooling fan and cool water spray during the light
- Short breaks if you need them
- Local anaesthetic for small skin cancer spots where suitable
- Treating very large areas in sections
- Daylight PDT, if it suits your spots
Tell us if you're worried about pain. We'll plan around it.
Sting, crust, settle
PDT Recovery: What to Expect Day by Day
A typical recovery after field PDT on the face or scalp.
- Straight after: red, hot and stinging, like a bad sunburn. The area is covered before you leave.
- Days 1 to 2: redness and swelling peak. After forehead or scalp treatment, the eyelids can puff up for a day or two. Skin feels tight and tender.
- Days 3 to 5: treated spots turn into crusts and scabs, and the skin between them flakes.
- Days 5 to 10: crusts come away and most people are healed by day 7 to 10. A skin cancer spot may take up to 2 weeks to heal fully.
- Weeks after: fresh, pink skin that fades over a few weeks.
Most people take 1 to 2 days off work. Field treatment of the face looks obvious for about a week, so plan around anything social.
When to Call Us After PDT
- Pain, heat or swelling that keeps getting worse after day 2
- Yellow crusting, pus or a fever
- Clusters of blisters or sores, which can be a cold sore flare
- A treated spot that hasn't healed after 3 weeks, or comes back
Call 07 3487 1414. Outside hours, see your GP or go to an emergency department.
How Long Should You Stay Out of the Light After PDT?
For about 48 hours. Some cream stays in your skin after the session, so strong light, even sunlight through a window, can set it off again and cause more burning. Keep the area covered and stay indoors, away from bright lights, for the time on your aftercare sheet.
Looking after your skin. Wash gently with water or a mild cleanser, and keep the area moist with a plain, bland ointment or moisturiser. Don't pick the crusts. Once the skin has healed, use SPF 50+ every day. Hats and sunscreen are what keep new spots from forming.
Before an event or holiday. Allow at least 2 weeks after field PDT on the face, and ideally 4, so any pinkness has time to fade. A small spot on the body needs less. Avoid PDT in the 2 weeks before a beach holiday.
Time of year. Many Brisbane patients book PDT in the cooler months, and daylight PDT needs a dry, mild day.
PDT vs Freezing, Creams, LaseMD and Surgery
A guide only. Many people use more than one over the years, and your plan depends on what each spot is.
Want to compare field options in more detail? See sun damage and actinic keratoses and LaseMD.
What Are the Risks of PDT? And How We Reduce Them
All procedures carry risks. Here are the main ones and what we do about each.
Common, Short-Term Side Effects of PDT
- Stinging and burning during the light. Expected with conventional PDT. We use cooling and breaks, and offer daylight PDT where it suits.
- Redness, swelling and crusting. Usual for about a week. We plan treatment around your work and social life.
- Light sensitivity for about 2 days. You get clear instructions on covering up and staying indoors.
- Spots that don't fully clear. Thicker spots can persist. We review you and re-treat or use another option.
Less Common PDT Risks
- Infection, including cold sore flare-ups. We check your history and plan your treatment around it.
- Brown or pale patches. More likely in olive and darker skin. Sun protection helps, and most patches fade over months.
- Scarring. Uncommon after PDT. Not picking crusts and good wound care reduce the risk.
- A skin cancer coming back. Possible after any treatment. Follow-up reviews are built into your plan.
Olive and darker skin. PDT can be used, but brown marks afterwards are more likely. Tell us if you tan easily or have had marks after spots or burns.
If something doesn't heal as expected, you come back to us. Call the clinic and we'll see you here.
Will Skin Cancer Come Back After PDT?
Sometimes. No skin cancer treatment is completely "set and forget", and that includes surgery. After PDT, a treated cancer is more likely to come back than after surgical removal, which is why follow-up is part of every plan.
We review you about 3 months after your last session. If any patch remains, we re-treat or biopsy it and consider other options, such as surgery.
For actinic keratoses, new spots usually keep appearing over the years, so daily sun protection and regular checks matter whatever treatment you choose. More on skin cancer checks.
Your follow-up
- A review about 3 months after treatment
- Photos compared in the same lighting
- A biopsy if anything looks unsettled
- Regular skin checks after that
How Much Does PDT Cost in Brisbane?
A specialist consultation starts from $395, where we confirm what each spot is and whether PDT suits it.
- Nurse-led field PDT for sun damage: priced per site, so the cost depends on how many areas you treat. You get the price before treatment.
- Dermatologist-led PDT for skin cancers: price on assessment, because it depends on the size and number of spots and the sessions needed.
- Laser-assisted PDT: price on assessment, quoted in writing after your consultation.
Actinic keratoses usually need one session and skin cancers two, plus a review. The number worth comparing is the cost of the whole course, so we give you that total in writing before you start.
Medicare and private health. Medicare has no rebate item for PDT on the skin, so the treatment fee isn't rebated. Your specialist consultation can attract a Medicare rebate if you have a valid referral, usually from your GP. Private health generally doesn't cover treatments done in the rooms. We'll confirm what applies to you at your consultation. See our fees.
Your dermatologist
Your PDT Dermatologist: Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD
Specialist Dermatologist · Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Our dermatologists diagnose each spot and plan your PDT. PDT for skin cancers and laser-assisted PDT are dermatologist-led. Field PDT for sun damage may be done by one of our Registered Nurses, after a dermatologist has assessed your skin.
- Fellowship training in cutaneous oncologyPlus laser surgery and complex scarring
- Lead author of Australian skin cancer guidelinesThe clinical practice guidelines for lentigo maligna, a type of melanoma
- Teaches laser to dermatologistsLectures on laser protocols and safety in Australia and Asia
Dr Mitch is a clinical presenter and Signature Partner for Cynosure Lutronic, a laser manufacturer.
Mount Gravatt, Brisbane
Photodynamic Therapy in Mount Gravatt
DERM Skin Specialists is at 2/1437 Logan Road, Mount Gravatt, about 15 minutes' drive from the Brisbane CBD, with free parking onsite. Patients come from Mansfield, Wishart, Eight Mile Plains, Greenslopes and across Brisbane's southside. Bring a hat for the drive home after PDT.
Common Questions
PDT: Common Questions
What is PDT used for?
Mainly actinic keratoses and sun-damaged skin, plus selected biopsy-proven superficial skin cancers: Bowen's disease and superficial basal cell carcinoma.
Is PDT the same as LED light therapy?
No. PDT uses a light-sensitising cream that the light switches on. LED light on its own is much gentler and doesn't treat actinic keratoses or skin cancers. More on LED.
Can PDT treat basal cell carcinoma?
Thin, low-risk superficial BCCs confirmed by biopsy can be treated with PDT, and laser-assisted PDT can also suit selected nodular BCCs. Infiltrative and other deeper BCCs usually need surgery.
Can PDT treat squamous cell carcinoma?
Only the earliest form, Bowen's disease, which is confined to the top layer of skin. Invasive squamous cell carcinoma needs surgery.
How painful is PDT?
Conventional PDT usually stings and burns while the light is on, most in the first few minutes. Daylight PDT is much more comfortable. We use cooling and breaks to help.
How many days does PDT recovery take?
Most people are red and swollen for 1 to 2 days, crusty for a few more, and healed in about 7 to 10 days. Pinkness can last a few weeks.
How long do I need to avoid the sun after PDT?
Keep the area covered and out of sunlight and bright light for about 48 hours, as your aftercare sheet says. After that, SPF 50+ every day.
How many PDT sessions will I need?
Usually one for actinic keratoses and two for Bowen's disease or superficial BCC, then a review about 3 months later.
Is daylight PDT as good as conventional PDT?
For thin actinic keratoses on the face and scalp, trials found it nearly as effective and much less painful. It isn't used for skin cancers or thick spots.
What is laser-assisted PDT?
A quick laser pass makes tiny channels in the skin before the cream goes on, so more of it reaches the abnormal cells. It suits thicker spots and heavy sun damage.
How much does PDT cost in Australia?
It varies with the area, condition and sessions. Here, nurse-led field PDT is priced per site and dermatologist-led PDT on assessment, with the total in writing first. See fees.
Does Medicare cover photodynamic therapy?
Medicare has no rebate item for PDT on the skin. A specialist consultation can attract a rebate with a valid referral. We confirm what applies at your consultation.
Do I need a referral for PDT?
No referral is needed to book. A valid referral, usually from your GP, is needed for a Medicare rebate on your specialist consultation.
Who does the PDT treatment?
A dermatologist diagnoses your spots and plans treatment. PDT for skin cancers and laser-assisted PDT are dermatologist-led. Field PDT for sun damage may be done by a Registered Nurse.
Is PDT better than a prescription cream for sun damage?
Neither suits everyone. Creams cost less but cause weeks of redness. PDT packs the reaction into about a week.
Will PDT leave a scar?
Scarring is uncommon, which is one of PDT's advantages over surgery. Temporary brown or pale patches can occur, more often in olive and darker skin.
Can PDT be repeated?
Yes. People with ongoing sun damage often have PDT again after a year or more.
What does PDT stand for?
Photodynamic therapy. The name refers to light (photo) setting off a reaction (dynamic) in the light-sensitising cream, which breaks down abnormal cells.
Can skin cancer be removed without surgery?
Some can. A biopsy-proven superficial BCC or Bowen's disease can often be treated with PDT or laser-assisted PDT, and some respond to prescription creams. Deeper BCCs, invasive SCC and melanoma need surgery. A dermatologist confirms what the spot is before recommending a non-surgical option.
Find Out Whether PDT Suits Your Skin
Book a consultation with one of our specialist dermatologists. We'll check each spot, explain what PDT can and can't do, and give you a written plan with the total cost before you decide.
Clinical content overseen by Dr Mitch Robinson, FACD (AHPRA MED0001946771). Updated October 2026. General information only, not medical advice. All procedures carry risks; suitability, recovery and results vary between individuals.