Roentgenographically Occult Lung Cancer Treated by a Combination of Photodynamic Therapy and Radiation Therapy

Abstract

Six cases of roentgenographically occult lung cancer were treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) combined with radiation therapy (RT). Four cases were endoscopically evaluated as early hilar type squamous cell carcinoma and 2 were clinically early hilar type squamous cell carcinoma. Disappearance of tumors was seen following only PDT in 3 of 6 patients, and remarkable reduction of tumors was proved in the other three patients. In all cases, complete disappearance of tumors was proved after radiation therapy and no case had local recurrence within the observation period (4 to 87 months). Combination of PDT and RT seemed to be very effective methods for the local control of ROLC, but three patients died of intrathoracic metastasis or second primary lung cancer. Therapy for these cases still remains unclear.