Photodynamic therapy of recurrent basal cell carcinoma

The article presents treatment outcome in 34 patients with recurrent basal cell carcinoma. The patients underwent photodynamic therapy with photosensitizes of chlorine series Photoditazin and Radachlorin. The photosensitizers were administered by two routes - intralesional and intravenous. The choice of route of administration of photosensetizers depends on the treatment used for primary tumor and possibility dissemination of tumor cells after previous excision or destruction. If the possibility of dissemination of tumor cells is high, a photosensitizer should be administered intravenously. If the excision or destruction was not used for treatment of primary tumor and the possibility of spread of tumor cells beyond tumor borders is low, for treatment of recurrent tumor intralesion administration of a photosensitzer is appropriate, this allows enhancing effectiveness of photochemical reaction due to high accumulation of the photosensitizer in a lesion. Immediate effectiveness of photodynamic therapy (follow-up period - up to 3 months) in both groups was 100.0%. In the study of long-term treatment outcome no signs of recurrence in both groups during the follow-up period of about 3 years were detected. Results of treatment of recurrent basal cell carcinoma show high efficiency of photodynamic therapy and the need for further research in this direction.