Analysis of photosensitivity in Japanese cancer-bearing patients receivingphotodynamic therapy with porfimer sodium (Photofrin (TM))

A major disadvantage of a new cancer treatment, porfimer sodium (Photofrin (TM))-mediated photodynamic therapy (PF-PDT), is photosensitivity for sever al weeks after cessation of the treatment. To characterize persistent sensi tivity to visible light following PF-PDT, phototestings; were performed in 59 Japanese cancer-bearing patients with a slide projector lamp 3 weeks or more after the treatment. The duration of photosensitivity was analyzed in relation to the patients' sex, skin phototype (SPT), site of tumor and live r function. There was no correlation of the photosensitivity persistency wi th the site of cancers and the function of liver. However, female subjects needed significantly longer recovery periods than male subjects from potent ial photosensitivity after PF-PDT. Patients with SPT2 were significantly mo re sensitive than patients with SPT3 and 4. These results suggest that the prolonged photosensitivity occurs after PF-PDT especially in female patient s and in cases with a lighter SPT. Such patients should be carefully follow ed up for post-PDT photosensitivity.