Photodynamic Diagnosis and Therapy for Brain Tumors

Abstract

Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD), where the metabolites of orally given 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) accumulate in the tumor cells, is simple, enables intraoperative real-time detection of the tumor tissue, and thus is valid in malignant brain tumor surgery. On the other hand, photodynamic therapy (PDT), where talaporfin sodium in combination with a semiconductor laser selectively kills tumor cells in the defined brain area, is considered promising as less invasive therapy to treat unresectable brain tumors invading eloquent brain regions. In this article, we summarize biological effect, clinical application, and future perspectives of PDD and PDT.