Document 1092
 DOCN  M9471092
 TI    Pilot study-photodynamic therapy (PDT) for treatment of AIDS-associated
       Kaposi's sarcoma (AIDS/KS) (Meeting abstract).
 DT    9409
 AU    Bernstein ZP; Wilson D; Mang TS; Dept. of Medicine and Radiation
       Medicine, Roswell Park Cancer; Inst.
 SO    Proc Annu Meet Am Soc Clin Oncol; 13:A6 1994. Unique Identifier :
       AIDSLINE ICDB/94600003
 AB    Lesions of AIDS/KS are often painful and cosmetically disfiguring.
       Treatment options are often limited by the patient's poor immune status.
       In an attempt to offer palliative therapy which would not further
       compromise the patient's immune system, we initiated a pilot study of
       PDT in AIDS/KS. The therapy is predicated on the activation by light of
       a photosensitizing drug (Photofrin) which preferentially accumulates in
       malignant tissues such as KS, after administration by intravenous
       injection. All entrants received 1.0 mg/kg of photofrin by iv injection
       48 hr prior to exposure to 100-200 J/cm2 of 630 nm light. Ten patients
       with cutaneous AIDS/KS have been entered to date. Two had oral lesions
       as well. The number of lesions treated per individual ranged from 2 to
       20 with three individuals having greater than 15 lesions treated. Two
       patients expired within one month of treatment and were thus deemed
       nonresponders. The mean time to re-epithelization of treated areas was
       20 days. The one surviving individual with oral lesions had a response
       duration of 120 days. Of the remaining six patients, five had a CR of
       all lesions for a minimum period of 60 days. The remaining patient had a
       mixed response and was retreated to a total CR for a period of 80 days.
       There have been no grade 3 toxicities experienced to date and there were
       no detectable statistically significant changes in CD4 cell numbers
       during the period of observation (mean 90 days). The data suggests that
       PDT offers a safe, tolerable, cosmetically acceptable palliative therapy
       of cutaneous KS lesions without detriment to the patient's immune
       system.
 DE    Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome/*DRUG THERAPY  Follow-Up Studies
       *Hematoporphyrin Photoradiation  Human  Injections, Intravenous  Mouth
       Neoplasms/DRUG THERAPY  Palliative Treatment  Pilot Projects  Sarcoma,
       Kaposi's/*DRUG THERAPY  Skin Neoplasms/*DRUG THERAPY  MEETING ABSTRACT

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