Total tumor cell elimination with minimum damage to normal tissues in musculoskeletal sarcomas following photodynamic therapy with acridine orange

Acridine orange (AO) has unique biological actions enabling tumor visualiza tion (fluorovisualization) and a strong cytocidal effect (photodynamic ther apy: AO-PDT) under illumination with blue light. Accordingly, in this study , we attempted to develop a new surgical technique for total tumor cell eli mination using these photodynamic reactions with AO in a mouse osteosarcoma model. The results showed that local tumor recurrence was significantly in hibited (23%) in the group treated with curettage under fluorovisualization and AO-PDT, compared to that (80%) in the control group treated with curet tage alone under ordinary light. Therefore, we concluded that the combinati on of curettage under fluorovisualization and AO-PDT may be useful for tota l tu mor eel I elimination with minimum damage to normal tissue in musculos keletal sarcomas. Copyright (C) 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel.