Photodynamic therapy for multiple central type lung cancer - a case report.

In case of central type lung cancer, it happens that tumors tend to grow at many foci of bronchial tree, sometimes simultaneously and sometimes not. And these patients with such abnormalities often suffer from pulmonary emphysema or chronic bronchitis because of heavy smoking habits. So it is important to choose the treatment which preserve the pulmonary function in these cases. Today among several kinds of treatments, photodynamic therapy (PDT) is the definite method to maintain lung function. We report here a case of multiple central type lung cancer treated successfully by PDT.

[Evaluation of bronchial arterial infusion (BAI) for lung cancer with carcinomatous pleuritis].

MATERIALS AND METHODS: Six high-risk patients of lung cancer with carcinomatous pleuritis to which BAI was done were examined. BAI was performed using CDDP (40-50 mg/m2) + CPT-11 (40-50 mg/m2). The therapeutic effects, side effects, a reduction of the symptoms and prognosis were examined. RESULTS: All cases were revealed as stable disease according to the rule of the RECIST. The side effect of appetite loss for over grade 2 was found in one case. The reduction of respiratory symptoms (cough, dyspnea at the movement in 3, chest pain in 1 and loss of the movement in 1) was recognized by four out of five cases. Five patients died in three to seven months after the treatment of BAI. The causes of death were the recurrence of carcinomatous pleuritis and the primary lesion or the metastasis lesion of the lung in 4 cases and the recurrence of the primary lesion in 1 case. The recurrence of the malignant pleural effusion was recognized in 1 case without intra-thoracic infusion. COMMENT: BAI was effective as a reduction of the respiratory symptoms in the high-risk patients of lung cancer with carcinomatous pleuritis. It appeared that a long-term survival was probable with the combination of BAI, intra-thoracic infusion and systemic chemotherapy.