Clinical Experiences with Photodynamic Therapy for Recurrent Malignancies of the Lower Female Genital Tract

Abstract

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with Photofrin II was administered over a 7-year period to 17 patients with recurrent carcinoma in situ (CIS) of the vulva, vagina, and perianum. Ten patients were treated two or three times after average intervening periods of 23 and 19 months, respectively. A histologically complete response at 3 months after the PDT session was achieved for 27 of 38 (71%) anatomic sites. Ten patients of this group remain free of recurrences for periods of 2-7 years. Condylomata acuminata associated with CIS in 16 of 17 patients recurred rapidly in 7 patients after PDT. Only short-term palliative results were achieved for 4 patients treated with PDT for invasive carcinoma. Fifteen patients experienced a significant skin reaction to direct sunlight during a 7-week period post-PDT.

Photodynamic therapy of vulvar and vaginal condyloma and intraepithelial neoplasia using topically applied 5‐aminolevulinic acid*

“…Lobraico and Grossweiner [30] reported on 16 patients with genital warts treated with PDT using Photofrin II: 7 patients recurred rapidly after PDT. Recently, Stender et al reported favorable results on the treatment of recalcitrant foot and hand warts using ALA-mediated PDT [17,31].…”

A Trial of Short Incubation, Broad-Area Photodynamic Therapy for Facial Actinic Keratoses and Diffuse Photodamage

“…20 Photodynamic therapy using the porphyrin analogue porfimer sodium (Photofrin [dihematoporphyrin]; Quadra Logic Technologies, Vancouver, British Columbia) and visible light has been used for many years on a limited basis to treat malignancies in the skin, particularly cutaneous metastases of generally incurable disease. [21][22][23] However, the intravenous route of administration, the persistence of drug in tissues, and hence the need to scrupulously avoid light for weeks required patient hospitalization, and use of scarring protocols restricted Photofrin/PDT to clinically detectable tumors.…”

Photodynamic therapy

“…The overall results for 73 patients indicate a CR rate of 48%. The study at this center for 17 patients was limited to CIS of the vulva and vagina [12]. Treatment planning was similar to that employed for head and neck cancers.…”