The objective of this investigation was to gain a deeper understanding of the intracellular events that precede photolysis of cells. A model system, consisting of malignant melanoma cells pretreated with the calcium sensitive fluorescent dye, Fluo-3, was used to examine the intracellular calcium dynamics in single-cell photolysis experiments. Exposure of the cells to 632 nm laser light in the presence of photosensitizer, tin chlorin e6, resulted in a rise in intracellular calcium. The increase in intracellular calcium was blocked using a variety of calcium channel blocking agents, including verapamil, nifedipine, and nickel. Treatment with the channel blockers was also effective in either decreasing or eliminating cell death despite the presence of lethal doses of photosensitizer and irradiation. These results show that intracellular calcium rises prior to plasma membrane lysis, and that this early rise in intracellular calcium is necessary for membrane rupture.