Photodynamic therapy with intravesical instillation of 5-aminolevulinic acid for patients with recurrent superficial bladder cancer: a single-center study.
OBJECTIVE
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an effective treatment option for patients with superficial bladder cancer uncontrolled by transurethral resection and/or intravesical bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy alone. We determined the efficacy and side effects of PDT in patients with recurrent superficial bladder cancer.


METHODS
Between April 1994 and July 2001, PDT was performed in 31 patients (23 men and 8 women). 5-Aminolevulinic acid (50 mL) in a 3% concentration was instilled intravesically. Patients were instructed to hold the solution as long as possible and were irradiated transurethrally with a mean light dose of 3.9 W using laser light emitting a wavelength of 633 nm for a mean time of 1260 seconds.


RESULTS
The mean patient age at the procedure was 70.2 years. At an average follow-up of 23.7 months (range 1 to 73), 16 patients were free of tumor recurrence; 15 patients had developed tumor recurrence after a mean of 8.3 months. Of 10 patients with prior BCG treatment, 4 were free of tumor recurrence. Treatment was well tolerated, with the only side effect being dysuria due to urinary tract infection in 4 patients and hematuria in 7 patients. No phototoxic skin reactions were observed.


CONCLUSIONS
PDT represents a safe, effective, and less-invasive treatment for patients with recurrent superficial bladder cancer. Because of the favorable side-effect profile, PDT can also be applied to patients with comorbidity precluding surgical treatment. Furthermore, PDT represents a second-line treatment for patients with tumor recurrence after BCG failure.
Berger
Andreas P
AP
Department of Urology, University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Steiner
Hannes
H
Stenzl
Arnulf
A
Akkad
Thomas
T
Bartsch
Georg
G
Holtl
Lorenz
L
D000283:Administration, Intravesical; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D007167:Immunotherapy; D007834:Lasers; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009163:Mycobacterium bovis / Q000276:immunology; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D010778:Photochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D017319:Photosensitizing Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D017211:Treatment Failure; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D001749:Urinary Bladder Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000628:therapy
D017319:Photosensitizing Agents; D000622:Aminolevulinic Acid