1993 Volume 14 Issue Supplement Pages 73-75
A phase II was conducted between June 1989 and Feburary 1992 to evaluate the activity and toxicity of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with photofrin II in centrally located early-stage lung cancer and to determine the complete response (CR) rate as the primary end point.
Patients and Methods: Patients had histologically proven lung cancer and endoscopically superficial thicking or small protrusions. All lesions were located in subsegmental or larger bronchi. All patients had a performance status (PS) of 0 to 2 and artial oxygen pressure tension (PaO2) ?60 torr. No lymph node or distant metastases were present. All patients received photofrin II (2 mg/kg) intravenously 48 hours before PDT. Tumor lesions were superficially photoradiated by argon dye laser or excimer dye laser. Results: Of 54 patients with 64 carcinomas, 51 with 61 carcinomas were eligible for toxicity evaluation and 49 with 59 carcinomas were assessable for response. Of the 59 assessable carcinomas, 50 (84.8%; 95% confidence interval, 73.0% to 92.8%) showed a CR after initial PDT. The median duration of CR was 14.0+ months (range, 2.0+ to 32.4+) The multiple regression model indicates that estimated length of longitudinal tumor extent was the only independent prognostic factor for CR (p=0.002). Ten carcinomas that had a CR had a local recurrece between 2 months to 19 months after initial PDT (median recurence time, 6 months). The 16 carcinomas that had a CR duration of 24 months, had no local recumence after initial PDT. Regression model shows that a longitudinal extent of tumor was important factor for local recurrence. Conclusion: PDT with photofrin II has an excellent effect on patients with centrally located early-stage lung cancer who have a longitudinal extent of 1 cm or less.
