Photodynamic therapy as an adjuvant intraoperative treatment of recurrent head and neck carcinomas.

OBJECTIVE

To demonstrate the feasibility of adjuvant intraoperative photodynamic therapy in the treatment of large, infiltrating, recurrent carcinomas of the head and neck.

DESIGN

A nonrandomized trial involving 5 patients treated with intraoperative adjuvant photodynamic therapy with 29-month follow-up.

SETTING

A tertiary care referral center in a private practice setting.

PATIENTS

Five patients with massive, recurrent, infiltrating squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck and skull base.

INTERVENTION

Photodynamic therapy was used as an adjuvant intraoperative treatment after resection of tumors.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE

Time of survival after treatment without recurrence of disease.

RESULTS

Four of the 5 patients have remained free of recurrent disease without complications up to 24 months after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Adjuvant intraoperative photodynamic therapy may improve cure rates in patients with recurrent head and neck malignancies by providing larger tumor-free margins of resection, while preserving normal structures.