Photoradiation therapy of brain tumours

Present methods for treating cerebral glioma are inadequate and the possible benefit of using photosensitization therapy to obtain improved local control of the tumour has been studied in the laboratory and in clinical trials. The biological basis for photoradiation therapy and the laboratory studies and clinical trials using photoradiation to treat cerebral tumours are discussed. Photoradiation therapy results in selective tumour destruction in an intracerebral glioma model with an effect up to 1 cm in depth. Clinical studies using haematoporphyrin derivative and up to 260 J/cm2 of red light from laser sources indicate that the therapy is well tolerated and may be of value as an adjuvant treatment of cerebral tumours.