[Laser bronchoscopic therapy of lung cancer]

Laser endoscopic therapy has now achieved status as an effective treatment modality for lung cancer. The usefulness of Nd-YAG laser as palliative treatment for obstructive tracheobronchial tumors has been recognized. Our experience consisted in 205 YAG laser cases, including 184 obstructive tracheobronchial tumors, and the airway gauge was improved in 88.3%. On the other hand, the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) using photofrin as a photosensitizer was demonstrated in our institution in 1979 for the treatment of lung cancers, and increasing attention has focused on this new treatment technique. Over the past decade, 211 patients with central lung cancers, including 66 cases of early-stage lesions, have been treated at Tokyo Medical College Hospital, and a complete remission rate of 65.2% was achieved. We gave an overview of laser endoscopic therapy, including Nd-YAG laser treatment and photodynamic therapy, for lung cancer as well as an evaluation of the effectiveness of these therapies.