The College of Science at the University of Basrah held a workshop on "Photothermal and Photodynamic Therapy for Cancer Using Gold Nanoparticles" presented by Dr. Intisar Jameel Hamad.

The workshop aimed to highlight using photothermal and photodynamic therapies for cancer treatment, emphasizing the synergistic effectiveness of both treatments, which can double the efficacy compared to using them alone. The workshop also addressed the most common routine treatments for various types of cancer and their main drawbacks. A key focus of the workshop was the role of nanoparticles, particularly gold nanoparticles (GNPs), in enhancing photothermal and photodynamic therapy for cancer.

The workshop was organized due to the urgent need for alternative treatment methods to replace current treatments, which are highly toxic to healthy cells, expensive, and ineffective in advanced stages of cancer. The workshop recommended the use of nanoparticles as promising solutions, and intensive clinical trials are being conducted to confirm their effectiveness on humans after their effectiveness has been proven using laboratory animals.