Skip to main content
Annals of Surgery logoLink to Annals of Surgery
. 1987 Aug;206(2):193–199. doi: 10.1097/00000658-198708000-00012

High-dose photoirradiation of esophageal cancer.

R J Thomas, M Abbott, P S Bhathal, D J St John, G Morstyn
PMCID: PMC1493120  PMID: 3606245

Abstract

Fifteen patients with locally advanced esophageal cancer were treated with phototherapy. Each patient had dysphagia and weight loss before therapy and could not be operated on because of the extent of the tumor or poor performance status. Patients received a photosensitizer (hematoporphyrin derivative) 72 hours before phototherapy and were then treated by light delivered by an argon pumped dye laser or gold metal vapor laser at powers up to 2.2 W and doses of 337 J/cm2. Fourteen patients received 24 treatments. The results were all patients achieved a tumor response. The depth of response depended on the dose and dose rate of radiation. There were four of 24 local complications (mediastinitis 3, bronchoesophageal fistula 1). These occurred in patients treated with a power of greater than 1.5 W. There were two complete pathologic remissions in patients with locally advanced cancer. In conclusion, phototherapy is an effective alternative to other forms of palliation and potentially may be an alternative to surgery in selected cases of locally advanced esophageal cancer.

Full text

PDF
193

Images in this article

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Benson R. C., Jr, Kinsey J. H., Cortese D. A., Farrow G. M., Utz D. C. Treatment of transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder with hematoporphyrin derivative phototherapy. J Urol. 1983 Dec;130(6):1090–1095. doi: 10.1016/s0022-5347(17)51699-7. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Dougherty T. J., Grindey G. B., Fiel R., Weishaupt K. R., Boyle D. G. Photoradiation therapy. II. Cure of animal tumors with hematoporphyrin and light. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1975 Jul;55(1):115–121. doi: 10.1093/jnci/55.1.115. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Dougherty T. J., Lawrence G., Kaufman J. H., Boyle D., Weishaupt K. R., Goldfarb A. Photoradiation in the treatment of recurrent breast carcinoma. J Natl Cancer Inst. 1979 Feb;62(2):231–237. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Forbes I. J., Cowled P. A., Leong A. S., Ward A. D., Black R. B., Blake A. J., Jacka F. J. Phototherapy of human tumours using haematoporphyrin derivative. Med J Aust. 1980 Nov 1;2(9):489–493. doi: 10.5694/j.1326-5377.1980.tb100708.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Hall E. J., Bedford J. S., Oliver R. Extreme hypoxia; its effect on the survival of mammalian cells irradiated at high and low dose-rates. Br J Radiol. 1966 Apr;39(460):302–307. doi: 10.1259/0007-1285-39-460-302. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Hayata Y., Kato H., Konaka C., Ono J., Takizawa N. Hematoporphyrin derivative and laser photoradiation in the treatment of lung cancer. Chest. 1982 Mar;81(3):269–277. doi: 10.1378/chest.81.3.269. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Hayata Y., Kato H., Okitsu H., Kawaguchi M., Konaka C. Photodynamic therapy with hematoporphyrin derivative in cancer of the upper gastrointestinal tract. Semin Surg Oncol. 1985;1(1):1–11. doi: 10.1002/ssu.2980010103. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Henderson B. W., Waldow S. M., Potter W. R., Dougherty T. J. Interaction of photodynamic therapy and hyperthermia: tumor response and cell survival studies after treatment of mice in vivo. Cancer Res. 1985 Dec;45(12 Pt 1):6071–6077. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. LIPSON R. L., BALDES E. J., OLSEN A. M. Hematoporphyrin derivative: a new aid for endoscopic detection of malignant disease. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 1961 Nov;42:623–629. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. McCaughan J. S., Jr, Williams T. E., Jr, Bethel B. H. Palliation of esophageal malignancy with photodynamic therapy. Ann Thorac Surg. 1985 Aug;40(2):113–120. doi: 10.1016/s0003-4975(10)60002-1. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Morstyn G., Thomas R. J., Mullerworth M., St John D. J., Bhathal P. S., Abbott M., Van Cooten R. Improved survival in esophageal cancer in the period 1978 to 1983. J Clin Oncol. 1986 Jul;4(7):1062–1067. doi: 10.1200/JCO.1986.4.7.1062. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Annals of Surgery are provided here courtesy of Lippincott, Williams, and Wilkins

RESOURCES