Two cases of tongue carcinoma treated by photodynamic therapy.

Photodynamic therapy is a new therapeutic technique that utilizes a photosensitizer selectively localized in tumors and activated by exposure to laser light, resulting in tumor necrosis. Photodynamic therapy has proved to be effective in the treatment of early cancers of the lung, esophagus, stomach, and uterine cervix, and was approved by the Japanese goverment. We consider early oral cancers to be good candidates for photodynamic therapy. This report describes two cases of tongue carcinoma treated by photodynamic therapy.