The use of hematoporphyrin derivative and other photosensitizing agents in combination with light activation is currently being investigated as an anti-tumor modality for the treatment of intraperitoneal and intrathoracic tumors. A ma or advantage of this modality is the apparent selective retention of the sensitizing dye within tumors. A murine ascites ovarian carcinoma and a human ovarian tumor that grows as an ascites tumor has been used to study the characteristics of drug distribution in the peritoneal cavity. Likewise, murine models have been used to study the tolerance of the thoracic cavity structures to the phototherapy techniques being explored. The limitations of the murine model has required the extensions of the investigation to the canine model for evaluation of the toxicity of Phototherapy. Different wavelengths of light, different laser delivery systems, different sensitizers, different doses of energy, different modes of drug administration, and different monitoring devices are being studied. We have shown that Phototherapy can be used to effectively treat a murine ascites tumor. We have also shown that in both the murine and the canine model, the peritoneal serosal surface is tolerant of at least 0.5 J/square cm and that this work can be extended to human subjects. In the murine system, we have shown that the thoracic cavity, like the peritoneal cavity, is exquisitely sensitive to treatment with red light (630 nm). The dose rate must be controlled to minimize heat build up (less than 150 mW fiber output from a forward projecting optical fiber is usually tolerated). We are exploring the use of photoimmunotherapy as an additional means of drug delivery. We are exploring the use of chemiluminescence as a means of light delivery to the cavitary spaces.
