Radiology, Vol 163, 172-175, Copyright © 1987 by Radiological Society of North America
CT-guided laser therapy in resistant human tumors: phase I clinical trials
RA Gatenby, WH Hartz, PF Engstrom, JS Rosenblum, ND Hammond, HB Kessler, PJ Moldofsky, MR Clair, E Unger and GJ Broder
Photodynamic therapy was performed on ten tumors in patients who did not
respond to initial therapy and for whom no additional conventional therapy
was available. A sensitizing agent (hematoporphyrin derivative [HpD]) was
injected directly into each tumor under computed tomographic (CT) guidance
to deliver high concentrations to the tumor and to minimize systemic
toxicity. Three to 6 days after the injection, a clear Teflon sheath
catheter was placed into the tumor under CT guidance. The tumor was exposed
to red light (630-nm wavelength) through laser fiberoptics inserted in the
sheath. The initial investigation confirmed the technical feasibility of
CT-guided photodynamic therapy by means of intratumoral HpD injections and
laser exposure through fiberoptics inserted in sheath catheters. The
toxicity from a single treatment was minor, and the tumor response was
encouraging.
