Background/aims: Photodynamic therapy has been developed as an endoscopic laser therapy for gastrointestinal malignant tumors. The targets for curative upper gastrointestinal endoscopic therapy are carcinomas that are considered statistically unlikely to be accompanied with metastases to the lymph nodes. Endoscopic mucosal resection is the therapy of first choice for such carcinomas. In the application of photodynamic therapy, we narrow down its practical indications to patients who are not indicated for curative endoscopic treatment by preoperative examination or those with histologic findings of endoscopic mucosal resection specimens who reject surgical treatment or are at high risk in surgical treatment.
Methodology: The effect of photodynamic therapy using Porfimer sodium and an Excimer dye laser was evaluated endoscopically in 8 lesions of 7 patients with early gastric cancer.
Results: Complete responses were obtained in all patients. As side effects, mild photosensitivity was seen in 6 patients and lasted for several months.
Conclusions: Photodynamic therapy was safety employed, with success in 7 patients with early gastric cancer. We conclude that photodynamic therapy can be a useful palliative method with high tumor selectivity in the treatment of early gastric cancer.