Photodynamic therapy of superficial esophageal cancer with a transparent hood.
BACKGROUND
To improve the effectiveness of photodynamic therapy, the further development of endoscopic devices is essential. For photodynamic therapy of superficial esophageal cancer, a transparent hood was used to obtain precise laser irradiation.


METHODS
The transparent hood was attached to the tip of an upper endoscope. Forty-eight hours after the injection of porfimer sodium, cancerous lesions were irradiated with an excimer-dye laser (4 mJ, 80 Hz). Twenty-four hours later, additional irradiation was applied to lesions when the response to the initial irradiation appeared insufficient. Fifteen neoplastic lesions in 7 patients were treated.


RESULTS
The initial size of the lesions ranged from 5 to 30 mm in diameter. Histopathologically, there were 9 squamous-cell carcinomas and 6 high-grade squamous dysplastic lesions. All treated lesions disappeared after the first or the second laser irradiation (total energy range 39.1-193.5 J/cm(2)). During follow-up (range 4-51 months), there was no recurrence of the initial lesion in any patient. There was no severe photodynamic therapy related complication.


CONCLUSIONS
Photodynamic therapy with a transparent hood is an acceptable option for the treatment of superficial esophageal cancer.
Nakamura
Tetsuya
T
Department of Endoscopy, Dokkyo University School of Medicine, Shimotsuga, Tochigi, Japan.
Fukui
Hirokazu
H
Shirakawa
Katsuro
K
Fujii
Youichirou
Y
Fujimori
Takahiro
T
Terano
Akira
A
D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy*; D017323:Dihematoporphyrin Ether / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D020776:Endoscopes, Gastrointestinal; D004867:Equipment Design; D004938:Esophageal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010778:Photochemotherapy
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017323:Dihematoporphyrin Ether