title: Hyperbaric oxygen and photodynamic therapy in the treatment of advanced carcinoma of the cardia and the esophagus.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The photochemical reaction of photodynamic therapy (PDT) depends on the presence of molecular oxygen. Because of anoxic regions in tumor tissue and vascular shutdown during PDT, the efficiency is limited. Therefore, the use of hyperbaric oxygen, which increases the oxygen in tumor tissue, as well as the amount of singlet oxygen, may enhance the efficiency of PDT.
  
  
  METHODS
  After diagnostic work-up, photosensitization was carried out with a hematoporphyrin-derivate 2 mg/kg body weight 48 hours before PDT. The light dose was calculated as 300 J/cm of fiber tip. Twenty-three patients were treated by PDT alone and 29 patients received PDT under hyperbaric oxygen at a level of two absolute atmospheric pressures.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Improvement regarding dysphagia and stenosis-diameter could be obtained in both treatment arms with no significant difference (P = 0.43 and P = 0. 065, respectively). The tumor length also decreased in both groups and showed a significant difference in favour of the PDT/HBO group (P = 0.002). The mean overall survival was 11.3 months. The mean survival time for the PDT group was 8.7 months and for the PDT/HBO group 13.8 months (P = 0.021).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  According to this pilot study, combined PDT/HBO represents a new approach in the treatment of esophageal and cardia cancer, which appears to have enhanced the efficiency of PDT.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic and Hyperbaric Surgery, University Medical School, Graz, Austria.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Maier
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Anegg
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Fell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Rehak
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Ratzenhofer
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tomaselli
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Sankin
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Pinter
authors.forename: F M
authors.initials: FM
authors.lastname: Smolle-Jüttner
authors.forename: G B
authors.initials: GB
authors.lastname: Friehs
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002277:Carcinoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D002299:Cardia; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006414:Hematoporphyrin Photoradiation / Q000379:methods*; D006415:Hematoporphyrins; D006801:Humans; D006931:Hyperbaric Oxygenation / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D010865:Pilot Projects; D011446:Prospective Studies; D013274:Stomach Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy*; D016019:Survival Analysis
chemical_list: D006415:Hematoporphyrins; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; C071875:photosan III