<title>Multi-course PDT of malignant tumors: the influence on primary tumor, metastatic spreading and homeostasis of cancer patients</title>

Abstract

The first clinical trials of photodynamic therapy (PDT) of cancer with two photosensitizers, PHOTOHEME and PHOTOSENS, were started in P.A.Hertzen Research Oncological Institute (Moscow, Russia) in 1992 and 1994 {1,2}. Up to now, 208 patients with primary, recurrent and metastatic malignant tumours (469 ) of skin (34 patients/185 tumours), breast cancer (24/101), head and neck (30/31), trachea and bronchus (31/42), esophagus (35/35), stomach (31/32), rectum (4/4), vagina and uterine cervix (7/8) and bladder (12/31) have been treated by PDT. 130 patient were injected PHOTOI-JEME, 64 patients were injected PHOTOSENS, 14 patients were injected PHOTOHEME AND PHOTOSENS.Totally, 302 courses of treatment were performed: 155 patients had one course and 53 patients were subjected to two to nine PDT courses with intervals from 1 to 18 months. A therapeutic effect of a one-couse and multi-course PDT of malignant tumours (respiratory, digestive and urogenital systems) was evaluated clinically, histologically, roentgenologically, sonographycally and endoscopically. The biochemical, hematological and immunological investigations were perfomed for all the patients in dynamics.Results of our study showed that a multi-course PDT method seems to be perspective in treatment of malignant tumours of basic localizations.

A combination of techniques to evaluate photodynamic efficiency of photosensitizers

“…Photogem is the most used photosensitizer in Brazil [5,6]. These three HpD are believed to present chemical and photophysical characteristics and diagnostic and therapeutic features identical to PF [7,8]. However, recent studies have shown that they are in fact different in its photostability [9] and degradation behavior [10,11], cytotoxicity in several tumor and non-tumor cell lines [9,10,12], threshold dose [13], and depth of necrosis [13].…”

Photodynamic therapy for Photogem® and Photofrin® using different light wavelengths in 375 human melanoma cells

“…Increasing the wavelength enables greater penetration of light into tissues [12]. Photogem , a photosensitizer produced in Russia and utilized in Brazil, has identical chemical, photophysical, diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics to Photofrin [13][14][15][16][17]. As Photofrin [18][19][20], Photogem consists of a mixture of monomers, dimmers, and oligomers of hematoporphyrin derivatives.…”

Current status of phthalocyanines in the photodynamic therapy of cancer

“…In addition, Photofrin 1 is being investigated as a possible therapy for a number of other malignant and non-malignant conditions. Other hematoporphyrin derivatives are also being used, with Photoheme, an enriched hematoporphyrin derivative similar to Photofrin 1 accepted for clinical use in Russia for easily accessible cancers including skin, breast, oropharingeal, lung, larynx and gastrointestinal cancers along with psoriasis and prophylaxis for corneal transplant opacity and recurrent blindness, where newly formed blood vessels result in loss of corneal transparency [23][24][25][26].…”