[Gastric cancer treated by hematoporphyrin derivative(HPD)-laser--histopathological study of 10 gastrectomy...

10 patients with gastric carcinoma treated by HPD-laser preoperatively are reported. The gastric lesions were irradiated with laser beam delivered by a quartz fibre through the fiberoptic gastroscope 48-72 hours after intravenous injection of HPD (5.0 mg/kg) about 2 weeks before operation. In the resected specimens, the histological changes following HPD-laser therapy were studied. The cancer cells in the irradiated areas showed degeneration and necrosis in varying degrees. Because of the fact that the light spots were small and the penetration not deep enough, the cancer cells beyond the irradiated area and those infiltrating more deeply or beyond the gastric wall did not show any evident changes while metastatic cancers in the lymph nodes showed no changes at all. These facts may suggest that the HPD-laser therapy should not be used as the main therapeutic method to replace operation, radiotherapy or chemotherapy for gastric cancers in either advanced or early stage.