Application of Photofrin II as a specific radiosensitising agent in patients with bladder cancer—a report of two cases

Background: the effect of ionizing radiation on tumour tissues can be optimised by adding radiosensitising agents to enhance tumour inactivation. Photofrin II has been approved as a photosensitising agent for the photodynamic therapy (PDT) of selected solid tumours. At present, no chemical modifier has been found to act as a selective radiosensitiser. We report here the first use of Photofrin II as a radiosensitising agent to enhance radiation therapy. Patients: two patients, one female with unresectable bladder cancer and one male with recurrent inoperable bladder cancer, were treated with radiation therapy (44.8 Gy + 14 Gy boost) of the pelvic region. 24 hours before initiation of therapy the patients were intravenously injected with 1 mg kg⁻¹ Photofrin II (Axcan, Canada). Results: magnetic resonance imaging of the pelvis with a standardized protocol demonstrated a reduction in tumour volume of approximately 40% in the female patient and 35% in the male patient. The female patient was operated upon after conclusion of radiotherapy, the male patient refused the operation. No severe side effects were observed. Conclusion: Photofrin II is a promising radiosensitising agent in the treatment of patients with advanced solid tumours.