Abstract
Photodynamic therapy utilizing Photofrin has proven to be effective in the treatment of a wide variety of solid tumors and luminal cancers. The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) was demonstrated at our institution in 1980 for the treatment of lung cancers, and increasing attention has been focused on this new treatment technique since then. Over the past decade, 211 patients (253 lesions) with central type lung cancer have been treated in our hospital. In the early stage central-type of lung cancer cases in this group, complete remission was obtained in 75 lesions out of 91 (82.4%); however, in 16 of those the entire extent of the lesion could not be seen endoscopically. These cases were therefore given additional radiother- apy or surgical resection to prevent recurrence. Recurrence was recognized in a total of 6 lesions (6.6%), which were then treated by surgery and additional PDT. Fifty three patients were disease free from 5 to 176 months postoperatively; however, 6 patients died as a result of their lung cancer. We conclude that PDT is efficacious in the treatment of superficial lung cancer where complete remission may sometimes be achieved.
