In Memoriam: Professor Keyvan Moghissi – Pioneer in Thoracic Surgery and Photodynamic Therapy (1927-2025)
In Memoriam: Professor Keyvan Moghissi – Pioneer in Thoracic Surgery and Photodynamic Therapy
Commemorating a Legacy of Innovation, Patient Care, and Global Impact
Professor Keyvan Moghissi was an esteemed Consultant Cardiothoracic Surgeon in the United Kingdom whose distinguished credentials included a BSc, BD, MS (Chir), FRCS (Ed & Eng), and FETCS. As Clinical Director and Consultant at the Yorkshire Laser Centre, Goole & District Hospital in the UK, Dr. Moghissi specialized in Laser Surgery and Photodynamic Medicine. His primary focus encompassed Surgery, Photodynamic Therapy (PDT), and Fluorescence Imaging, with a pronounced emphasis on thoracic oncology.
Throughout his career, Professor Moghissi made significant and transformative contributions to the field of PDT, as demonstrated by his authorship of over 219 publications and his extensive clinical experience, especially in the management of lung and esophageal cancers. Beginning in the early 1990s, Professor Moghissi advanced bronchoscopic PDT for lung cancer, offering a function-preserving and minimally invasive treatment for both early-stage and advanced inoperable lesions. His dedication to thoracic cancer treatment is further evidenced by more than 14 years devoted to esophageal cancer and over 15 years to lung cancer, resulting in a wealth of clinical data that demonstrated the safety and efficacy of PDT in these challenging areas.
In addition, Professor Moghissi investigated and published research on integrating PDT with other treatment modalities, such as Nd:YAG laser therapy and image-guided surgery, thereby enhancing therapeutic outcomes for his patients. His research also extended to the use of PDT for pre-malignant conditions, including Barrett's esophagus with high-grade dysplasia and anal intraepithelial neoplasia (AIN).
Professor Moghissi's enduring influence was felt not only in his clinical innovations but also in his advocacy and educational leadership. He was a passionate proponent of PDT in oncology and played a pivotal role in establishing PDT as a validated, less-invasive alternative to conventional surgery for select patients through systematic reviews and long-term studies in early-stage esophageal and lung cancer. He championed the use of Autofluorescence Bronchoscopy (AFB) for detecting and localizing pre-neoplastic and early-neoplastic lesions, which helped optimize PDT targeting and improve diagnostic accuracy in thoracic oncology.
His leadership and commitment were recognized globally through his active involvement in national and international PDT conferences and associations, as well as his role as a founding member of the journal Photodiagnosis and Photodynamic Therapy. During his career, Professor Moghissi received numerous awards. In recognition of his extraordinary contributions to both patients and the global PDT community, Professor Moghissi was honoured by the International Photodynamic Association (IPA). He received the Humanitarian Award in 2023 and was celebrated with the prestigious Award for Significant Advancement of PDT at the IPA’s 19th World Congress in Shanghai in 2025.
Professor Keyvan Moghissi’s legacy lives on in the lives he touched, the careers he inspired, and the field of photodynamic medicine, which he helped shape for generations to come. He will be missed around the world by his many friends at the International Photodynamic Association.