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.