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The review is on opportunities and possibilities of application of photodynamic therapy in clinical practice. The advantages of this method are the targeting of effect on tumor foci and high efficiency along with low systemic toxicity. The results of the set of recent Russian and foreign clinical trials are represented in the review. The method is successfully used in clinical practice with both radical (for early vulvar, cervical cancer and pre-cancer, central early lung cancer, esophageal and gastric cancer, bladder cancer and other types of malignant tumors), and palliative care (including tumor pleuritis, gastrointestinal tumors and others). Photodynamic therapy delivers results which are not available for other methods of cancer therapy. Thus, photodynamic therapy allows to avoid gross scars (that is very important, for example, in gynecology for treatment of patients of reproductive age with cervical and vulvar cancer), delivers good cosmetic effect for skin tumors, allows minimal trauma for intact tissue surrounding tumor. Photodynamic therapy is also used in other fields of medicine, such as otorhinolaryngology, dermatology, ophthalmology, orthopaedics, for treatment of papilloma virus infection and purulent wounds as antibacterial therapy.

The results of clinical study for efficacy of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with radachlorine in patients with pre-cancer and cancer of cervix are represented. The study enrolled 30 patients including 4 patients with cervical erosion, 5 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia II, 13 patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III, 4 patients with carcinoma in situ and 4 patients with cervical cancer stage Ia. Radachlorine was administrated as single 30 minute intravenous injection at dose of 1,0 mg/kg of body weight 3 h before irradiation (wavelength of 662 nm, light dose of 300–350 J/cm2). The results of treatment in 26 (86,7%) patients was assessed as complete tumor regression and in 4 (13,3%) patients — as partial regression. In cervical erosion, intraepithelial neoplasia II and carcinoma in situ groups total regression was in all cases. In the cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III group total regression after first course of PDT was achieved in 77% of patients, in cervical cancer stage Ia group – in 75% of patients. From 3 to 6 months after first course of treatment all patients with partial tumor regression underwent the second course of PDT with complete regression. There were no side-effects due to radachorine or PDT in the course of treatment and during follow-up. Thus, PDT with Russian photosensitizer radachlorine showed high efficiency for treatment of pre-cancer and cancer of cervix.