Photodynamic therapy treatment of oral cavity cancer in patients with comorbidities

We report the experience of radical treatment by photodynamic therapy of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity with serious side diseases. Completed treatment of two patients with serious side diseases (HIV infection with associated pulmonary hypertension of high degree and cardiac pathology) suffered from cancer of oral cavity. Extensive surgical treatment and/or aggressive course of chemoradiation therapy were not indicated to them due to concomitant pathology. Both patients were diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity, with appropriate stage Ist. сT1N0M0. Patients received treatment by photodynamic therapy with chorine photosensitizer in dose 1 mg/kg. Options of photodynamic were: output power – 1.5W, power density – 0.31 W/cm2, light dose – 300 J/cm2. After one time session of photodynamic therapy, in both cases full response was diagnosed (according to RECIST 1.1). In one case the second session of photodynamic therapy was performed due to concomitant disease of oral cavity – multiply lesions of leukoplakia and after was diagnosed full remission of all lesions. Major adverse event was pain during the first 5-7 days after treatment, curable by painkillers. Follow-up (IQR) was 12 and 18 month respectively with no evidence of progression. It is available to avoid extensive surgical treatment and aggressive course of chemoradiation therapy (as an alternative) with the use of photodynamic therapy. Photodynamic therapy is minimally invasive method of radical treatment of localized squamous cell carcinoma of oral cavity with minimal adverse events, and could be especially relevant in patients with serious concomitant diseases.