PHOTOSENSITIZERS: THERAPY AND DETECTION OF MALIGNANT TUMORS
Abstract. Advances in the use of photosensitizers for detection and treatment of malignant tumors during the previous reviews in this journal have been mainly in the areas of development of potentially useful new photosensitizers (e.g. phthalocyanines and chlorins), further understanding of the mechanisms of photodynamic therapy (PDT), and in dosimetry of light delivery in tissue. Perhaps the most significant advance during the past year has been the initiation of Phase III clinical trials of PDT vs standard therapy in treatment of superficial bladder cancer and obstructive endobronchial tumors. In the final analysis, only such clinical trials can determine the future of this new modality for cancer treatment.