PHOTODYNAMIC THERAPY OF EARLY GASTRIC CANCERS BY MEANS OF MTHPC AND LASER IRRADIATION

Radical surgery treatment has been the first choice for early gastric cancer so far but in the recent years local endoscopic therapy modalit ies were offered to inoperable patients with a curative goal. We repor t on our experiences with meta-tetra(hydroxyphenyl-) chlorin (mTHPC) a s photosensitizer for photodynamic therapy (PDT) in 22 patients with s uperficial (uT1N0M0), histological proven (16 intestinal and 6 diffuse types according to Lauren) early gastric cancers. Complete remission could be achieved in 16 of 22 (73%) patients. 13/16 (80%) pat with int estinal type cancer and 3/6 patients (50%) with a diffuse Lauren's car cinoma. The mean follow-up period was 12 months and 20 months, respect ively An average of 1.8 treatment sessions was required. Severe compli cations were not observed. PDT using mTHPC photosensitizer represents a safe and efficient method for topical treatment of early gastric can cer especially of Lauren's intestinal carcinoma, if the preliminary re sults can be verified in larger patient series and during a long-term follow-up local treatment of early cancers of the stomach by means of PDT could be considered as a therapeutic option for selected patients.