Photodynamic therapy for early stage bronchogenic carcinoma

Photodynamic therapy utilizing Photofrin has proved to be an effective modality that can be used in the treatment of a wide variety of solid tumors and luminal cancers. The effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (PDT) was demonstrated in our institution in 1980 for the treatment of lung cancers, and increasing attention has been focused on this new treatment technique. Over the past decade, 240 patients (283 lesions) with central type lung cancers have been treated in our hospital. Overall complete remission was obtained in 39.6% of the 112 lesions, partial remission in 59.4%, and no remission was obtained in 1.0%. However, among 95 early stage lesions, CR was obtained in 79 (83.2%) and 71 cases were disease free at 3 to 176 months. We conclude that PDT is efficacious in the treatment of superficial lung cancer where complete remission may be achieved.