Combination therapy with photodynamic therapy in lung cancer (Conference Presentation)

The report of patients with lung cancer who could receive PDT combined with other modalities like surgery and chemotherapy is relatively rare. Combination of PDT and surgery is useful for multiple lung cancers (MPLC) or minimally invasive procedure to reduce resection line to peripheral site of superficial invasion in advanced lung cancer. Also, PDT combined with chemotherapy for advanced lung cancer with central airway stenosis seems to be usefull for local control and improvement of patient’s QOL. MPLCs were noted in 22 (34.4%) of 64 patients treated with PDT using Laserphyrin (synchronous:10, and metachronous: 12). Among them, 10 patients (synch:2, meta:8) underwent surgery (lobectomy: 9, pneumonectomy: 1) for peripheral-type lung cancer as their first primary lesion followed by PDT for central type early stage lung cancer. CRs were achieved after PDT in all patients, and all patients were alive. We performed induction PDT to reduce resection line for 28 patents. Among them, histological type revealed squamous cell ca. in 24. Superficial invasion was recognized in trachea: 2, carina: 3, main bronchus or 2nd carina: 22. Reduction surgery could be successfully performed in 23 of 28 patients (82%). PDT combined with chemotherapy was performed for 12 consecutive patients with 13 advanced NSCLC whose stages were IIIA–IV. The median stenosis rates before treatment, 1 week, and 1 month after treatment were 60%, 15%, and 15%, respectively. All patients improved symptoms and QOL after treatment. The mean survival time was 5.9 months, and the overall one-year survival rate was 30.0%.PDT combined with other modalities may be a promising strategy in lung cancer treatment.