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. 2013 Nov 4;347:f6153. doi: 10.1136/bmj.f6153

Table 10.

 Photodynamic therapy regimens

Study and No of SCCs Photosensitiser or occlusion time Light source, irradiance,dose Treatment regimen Prognostic features*
Baptista 2006 (n=4) Topical 20% ALA, 4-6 h 630 nm for 1000 s at 100 mW/cm2; total dose 100 J/cm2 Up to 5 treatments No data
Calzavara-Pinton 1995 (n=18) Topical 20% ALA, 6-8 h 630 nm for 10-15 min until slight pain or burning stopped at 100mW/cm2; total dose 60-80 J/cm2 Every other day until area eroded without clinically evident tumour, or stopped when no further improvement after 2 further treatments Diameter: superficial SCCs median 18 mm (range 12-45); nodular median 15 mm (range 5-25)
Calzavara-Pinton 2008 (n=71) Topical 160 mg/g MAL, 3 h 635±18 nm at 37 J/cm2 at irradiance of 86 mW/cm2 2 treatments, 7 days apart Mean diameter 20 mm (range 15-30); depth: Clark levels II (56%), III/IV (44%)
Fink-Puchs 1998 (n=35) Topical 20% ALA oil in water, 4 h Either unfiltered full spectrum visible light or filtered light of >515 nm or >570 nm or >610 nm, for 5-30 min; median total light dose 61 J/cm2 1 treatment Diameter 1.6-6 cm; depth confined to papillary dermis
Fritsch 1998 (n=36) Topical 20% ALA, 4-6 h Incoherent light source 570-750 nm for 20 min; 80mW/cm2 for superficial SCCs up to 150 mW/cm2 for nodular and exulcerated SCCs; total dose 96-180 J/cm2 Maximum 3 treatments (1 month apart) Diameter 0.5-3.1 cm; 28 SCCs described as “superficial”†
Haddad 2004 (n=43) Topical 20% ALA, 16 h Non-laser light at 580-720 nm and 1250-1600 nm for 10 min at 100 J/cm2 1-3 treatments Mean diameter 1.4±0.8 cm (range 1-3)
Harth 1998 (n=5) Modified topical 20% ALA plus 2% EDTA and 2% DMSO, 12 h Red light (585-720 nm) at 150 mW/cm2 and near infrared (1.25-1.6 mm) at 50 mW/cm2 for 10-15 min 1-3 treatments “Superficial”
Kennedy 1990 (n=8) Topical 20% ALA, 3-6 h Filtered light >600 nm at 150-300 mW/cm2 for 3.5-30 min; total dose 15-150 mW/cm2 Treatment repeated weekly for 2 elevated SCCs 6 early invasive SCCs; 2 elevated SCCs
Lui 1995 (n=2) Topical 20% ALA, 3 h Red light at 19-44 mW/cm2; total dose 100 J/cm2 1 treatment Diameter >5 mm
Wolf 1993 (n=6) Topical 20% ALA oil in water, 4-8 h Unfiltered light at 100 mW/cm2 for 15 min or red light at 100 mW/cm2 for 30 min; total dose 90 J/cm2 No of treatments not specified Diameter 1-6 cm; depth: all early invasive
Ziokolwski 2004 (n=23) Group 1: topical 20% ALA plus 5% DMSO and 5% EDTA, 4 h occlusion; group 2: topical 20% ALA plus 5% DMSO, 5% EDTA, and glycolic acid, 4 h occlusion 650 nm ±30 nm light at 100 mW/cm2; total dose 85-87.6 J/cm2 Up to 3 sessions of treatment Group 1 diameter 2-7 mm, group 2 diameter 2-9 mm
Feyh 1990 (n=5) Systemic haematoporphyrin derivative 2 h before photodynamic therapy; dose not specified 630nm laser light at 100 mw/cm2; dose 100 J/cm2 All tumour stage T1
Kubler 1999 (n=9) mTHPC at 0.15mg/kg, intravenous, 96 h before photodynamic therapy 652 nm red light at 100 mW/cm2; total dose 20 J/cm2 No data
Pennington 1988 (n=32) Systemic haematoporphyrin derivative as 5 mg/kg intravenous bolus, 3 days before photodynamic therapy 630 nm coherent light at 30 J/cm2 Estimated maximal thickness <1 cm

ALA=aminolevulinic acid; MAL=methylaminolevulinate; EDTA=ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid; DMSO=dimethyl sulfoxide; mTHPC=meta-tetrahydroxyphenylchlorin.

*Percentages indicate proportion of SCCs in study.

†”Superficial” not defined.