Biophotonics for Early and Recurrent Oral Cancers and Pre-malignant Lesions: Clinical Cases and Future Directions for India

India bears the world’s highest burden of oral cancer, primarily due to smokeless tobacco use. Many patients present with pre-malignant lesions (PML) or early-stage cancers that often require mutilating surgery. Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is a non-invasive, repeatable alternative. We report two successful cases demonstrating the efficacy of PDT: one a recurrent cancer patient disease-free for 14 years, and another with superficial carcinoma who successfully avoided near-total glossectomy and maintained full oral function after 4 years. The evidence (Siddiqui et al., 2022) supports use of PDT for oral lesions. These forms a part of the ICanCaRe Bio photonics initiative—integrating photo diagnostics, photo biomodulation , and PDT , along with tobacco cessation and rehabilitation into a 360-degree comprehensive solution to control oral cancer . This effort, supported by the USISTEF 2024 award in partnership with Photodynamic Solutions Inc. , aims to revolutionize early detection and treatment in resource-limited settings. This paper presents our experience and future recommendation for deploying AI powered biphotonic model that provides the complete care from diagnosis to treatment to support PDT as a vital tool in India’s strategy to fight with oral cancer and improve quality of life.