[Laser photodynamic therapy with hematoporphyrin derivative in lung cancer]

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) using hematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) was performed in 100 cases with lung cancer. The efficacy and limitation of this therapy were evaluated in this paper. Of these 19 cases were early stage lung cancer (Ia) and there were 16 stage I, 11 stage II, 38 stage III and 16 stage IV. The indications of PDT to obtain complete cure should be limited to cases of early stage lung cancer satisfying the following conditions. The focus should be visible endoscopically. Submucosal tumor invasion should be limited to within the bronchial cartilage. The dose of HpD should be more than 2.5 mg/kg body weight but less than 5mg. The light dose should be more than 180 Joules/cm2 in cases of superficial tumor. In advanced lung cancer cases, PDT was effective to treat the local lesion for the improvement of performance status. Combination PDT with surgery made it possible to increase the indications of surgery or reduce the extent of resection area in some cases.