PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY FOR CANCERS - A CLINICAL-TRIAL OF PORFIMER SODIUM IN JAPAN

Photodynamic therapy utilizing Photofrin has proven to be an effective modality that can be use in the treatment of a wide variety of solid tumors and luminal cancers. An argon pumped dye laser or excimer dye l aser was used to deliver 630 nm tight via quartz fibers passed through the biopsy channel subsequent to i.v. injection of photosensitizer. I n this study, 64 patients with superficial cancers were treated in thi s manner but only 58 patients, including 21 with roentgenographically occult lung cancer, 8 with stage I lung cancer, 5 with esophageal canc er, 12 with gastric cancer, 8 with cervical cancer and 4 with bladder cancer were evaluable. Complete remission was obtained in 48 out of 58 cases (82.8%). There was no serious complication except skin photosen sitivity, which was seen in 13 patients. We conclude that photodynamic therapy is efficacious in the treatment of superficial cancers where complete remission may be achieved.