ABSTRACT
Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is an innovative treatment involving the use of light-sensitive drugs to selectively identify and destroy diseased cells. Therefore, photodynamic therapy has the potential to treat and cure precancerous and early cancerous lesions (carcinoma in situ [CIS], T1 and T2) of the larynx while preserving normal tissue. Eleven patients with recurrent leukoplakia and carcinomas of the larynx were treated with PDT with follow-up to 27 months. One patient with a T1 verrucous carcinoma, 5 patients with T1 squamous cell carcinomas of the vocal cord failing radiotherapy, 1 patient with a T2 squamous cell carcinoma of the vocal cord failing radiotherapy, and 3 patients with CIS and severe atypia were treated with PDT and obtained a complete response and are disease free. One patient with a T3 carcinoma of the larynx was treated with PDT but died 4 weeks post-treatment of unrelated causes and could not be assessed. Photodynamic therapy is a promising therapy for treatment of precancerous and cancerous lesions of the larynx. This therapy may be particularly beneficial for the treatment of recurrent carcinomas of the larynx that have failed conventional radiotherapy, thereby preserving voice and eliminating the need for destructive laryngeal surgery.
Subject(s)
Carcinoma in Situ/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy , Carcinoma, Verrucous/drug therapy , Laryngeal Neoplasms/drug therapy , Leukoplakia/drug therapy , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/drug therapy , Photochemotherapy , Vocal Cords , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Carcinoma in Situ/diagnostic imaging , Carcinoma in Situ/pathology , Carcinoma in Situ/radiotherapy , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/diagnostic imaging , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/pathology , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/radiotherapy , Carcinoma, Verrucous/diagnostic imaging , Carcinoma, Verrucous/pathology , Carcinoma, Verrucous/radiotherapy , Combined Modality Therapy , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Laryngeal Neoplasms/diagnostic imaging , Laryngeal Neoplasms/pathology , Laryngeal Neoplasms/radiotherapy , Leukoplakia/diagnostic imaging , Leukoplakia/pathology , Leukoplakia/radiotherapy , Male , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/diagnostic imaging , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/pathology , Neoplasm Recurrence, Local/radiotherapy , Neoplasm Staging , Remission Induction , Severity of Illness Index , Time Factors , Tomography, X-Ray Computed , Treatment OutcomeABSTRACT
The paper presents data of clinical and laboratory investigations performed in patients with vulvar leukoplakia or kraurosis before and after the helium-neon laser therapy. The impairment of adrenal performance (related to glucocorticoid, androgenic or mineralocorticoid functions) has been identified in the examinees. Employment of the laser therapy has normalized the impaired functions and beneficially affected local dystrophic processes in vulvar tissues. Local application of aerosol corticoid agents prolongs the response to the therapy.
