| [ Summary ] |
A new strategy in photodynamic therapy (PDT) for inoperable advanced gastrointestinal cancers is described. In general, advanced cancers are larger in size than early cancers ; therefore a single administration of PDT is not effective in advanced cases. Consequently, we considered a new strategy as follows : 1) Laser power was doubled by changing the wave length from 40 to 80Hz. 2) An excimer-dye laser was used for irradiated 48 and 72 hours after injecting the patient with a photosensitizer. 3) Before PDT, the tumor was reduced by electro-coagulation or by irradiation with a Nd : YAG laser. This new combined therapy was given the designation endoscopic combined therapy (ECT). ECT was applied to 13 patients, with advanced cancer (10 gastric, 3 rectal). Eleven of the 13 (84.6%) cancerous lesions almost disappeared, four disappeared completely and no recurrence was found in the follow-up examinations. ECT is proposed as an effective treatments for advanced cancer. |