Photodynamic Therapy With YAG-OPO Laser for Early Stage Lung Cancer

Harubumi Kato,Kiyoyuki Furuse,Takeshi Horai,Tetsuya Okunaka,Chimori Konaka,Syunichi Negoro,Masahiro Fukuoka,Ichiro Kawase,Nobuhide Takifuji,Takashi Yaya,Yoko Kusunoki

doi:10.1155/dte.4.75

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) utilizing Photofrin is proving to be effective for the treatment of early stage lung cancers. The effect of PDT utilizing YAG-OPO laser as new light source was evaluated in 26 patients (29 lesions) with early stage lung cancers. YAG-OPO laser is solid state tunable laser which is easy to change wavelength between 620 and 670 nm exciting various kinds of photosensitizers. Moreover, YAG-OPO laser is more reliable, smaller and has less consumables than argon-dye laser or excimer-dye laser. As the result of PDT with YAG-OPO laser, complete remission (CR) was obtained in 82.6% of the 29 lesions, partial remission (PR) in 13.8% and no change (NC) was obtained in 3.4%. We conclude that PDT utilizing YAG-OPO laser is efficacious in the treatment of early stage lung cancers and can achieve complete remission.

Highlights

Increasing numbers of early stage lung cancer cases are being detected as a result of improved survey and diagnostic techniques
Tumor response was classified into three grades: complete remission (CR), when no tumor was observable by biopsy and/or brushing cytology for at least 4 weeks; partial remission (PR) which is defined as a reduction in tumor volume greater than 50% but with the cancer still recognizable on biopsy or brushing for at least 4 weeks after therapy; and no change (NC) which is defined as no change in tumor size or a decrease of less than 50% and the cancer still recognizable by biopsy or brushing
Photodynamic therapy, a relatively new modality used in the treatment of cancer, has gained considerable acceptance in the past decade

Summary

Introduction

Increasing numbers of early stage lung cancer cases are being detected as a result of improved survey and diagnostic techniques. Despite the possibility of curative resection in many such cases, many of the patients are frequently at high surgical risk because of coexisting chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or cardiovascular disease. Considering the quality of life of the patients, it is essential to preserve lung tissue by treating the initial early stage lung cancer as conservatively as possible. PDT is a new cancer treatment modality that selectively destroys cancer cells by an interaction between absorbed light and a retained photosensitizer [1,2]. Since PDT with Photofrin and excimer-dye laser received approval from the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan in October 1994, increasing attention has been focused on this new treatment technique. New photosensitizers of the second and the third generation have been developed, and tunable lasers are expected to apply for new generation photosensitizer [3]

Methods

Results

Conclusion