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

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.

Photodynamic Therapy in Non-Gastrointestinal Thoracic Malignancies

“…The use of PDT in early lung cancers has otherwise focused on T1N0M0 cancers or carcinoma in situ [ 18 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. These studies have been mostly small retrospective studies with sample sizes ranging from 13 up to 240 patients [ 18 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Complete clinical response rates to PDT have been reported to range from 35%–100% [ 18 , 23 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ].…”

“…These studies have been mostly small retrospective studies with sample sizes ranging from 13 up to 240 patients [ 18 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 ]. Complete clinical response rates to PDT have been reported to range from 35%–100% [ 18 , 23 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Nearly 100% of tumours achieve some degree of clinical response [ 28 , 33 , 34 ].…”

“…Complete clinical response rates to PDT have been reported to range from 35%–100% [ 18 , 23 , 24 , 28 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 , 33 , 34 , 35 ]. Nearly 100% of tumours achieve some degree of clinical response [ 28 , 33 , 34 ]. Certain tumour factors are associated with achieving complete clinical response.…”