Photodynamic therapy of brain tumours: evaluation of porphyrin uptake versus clinical outcome

• Published in: Journal of clinical neuroscience 2004-08, Vol.11 (6), p.584-596
• Main Authors: Stylli, Stanley S., Howes, Megan, MacGregor, Lachlan, Rajendra, Priya, Kaye, Andrew H.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Astrocytoma - blood; Astrocytoma - drug therapy; Astrocytoma - metabolism; Astrocytoma - mortality; Brain Neoplasms - blood; Brain Neoplasms - drug therapy; Brain Neoplasms - metabolism; Brain Neoplasms - mortality; brain tumours; Chi-Square Distribution; Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; Evaluation Studies as Topic; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Glioblastoma - blood; Glioblastoma - drug therapy; Glioblastoma - metabolism; Glioblastoma - mortality; Hematoporphyrin Derivative; Hematoporphyrins - pharmacokinetics; Humans; Lipoproteins - blood; Male; Middle Aged; Photochemotherapy - methods; photodynamic therapy; Photosensitizing Agents - pharmacokinetics; porphyrin; Survival Analysis; Time Factors
• ISSN: 0967-5868; 1532-2653
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2004.02.001

The objective of this study was to investigate whether the level of the photosensitizer haematoporphyrin derivative (HpD) uptake measured in tissue samples taken from brain tumour patients was associated with survival post-treatment with photodynamic therapy (PDT). The mean HpD uptake in tumour tissue was significantly higher in glioblastoma multiforme than anaplastic astrocytoma. Recurrent tumours had a higher mean uptake compared to primary tumours, which was evident in all grades of tumour. Among patients with GBM, there was a significant association between greater HpD uptake and survival ( HR = 0.26   [ 0.12 , 0.59 ] , p=0.001). There was also some evidence of a weak association between greater HpD uptake and survival among patients with AA, although the result was inconclusive ( HR = 0.73   [ 0.32 , 1.71 ] , p=0.472).