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Updated: Aug 7, 2026
Anticancer Efficacy of Photodynamic Therapy with Lung Cancer-Targeted Nanoparticles
Published on: December 1, 2016
Endobronchial photodynamic therapy for lung cancer
Gregory M Loewen1, Ravindra Pandey, David Bellnier
1Solid Tumor Division, Department of Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer Institute, Elm and Carlton Streets, Buffalo, New York 14263, USA. gregory.loewen@roswellpark.org
Background And Objective:
Endobronchial photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a minimally invasive technique for the palliation of major airway obstruction from lung cancer, and for the treatment of endobronchial microinvasive lung cancer.
Study Design:
Results of reported clinical trials were compared, and the author's preliminary results with second generation photosensitizers were also reviewed.
Results:
A review of the clinical experience with endobronchial PDT is provided. Potential advantages of PDT include the duration of palliation achieved through the delayed cellular effects of PDT within tumor. Side-effects from FDA-approved photosensitizer (Photofrin, Porfimer sodium, Axcan Scandipharm, Montreal, Quebec) include skin photosensitivity. HPPH (2-[1-hexyloxyethyl]-2 devinyl pyropheophorbide) is an example of a second-generation photosensitize that shows promise in the treatment of lung cancer, and appears to be free from significant skin photosensitivity.
Conclusion:
PDT is an effective tool for the palliation of endobronchial lung cancers which obstruct the central airways and is also effective for the treatment of central microinvasive carcinoma and carcinoma in situ of the central airways.
