Modeling of the Singlet Oxygen Distribution in Photofrin-Photodynamic Therapy of the Plural Cavity

R. Penjweini [1], T. C. Zhu [1], M. M. Kim [1],
[1] Department of Radiation Oncology, School of Medicine, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, USA
Published in 2016

Photofrin-mediated photodynamic therapy (PDT) is used after surgical resection at the University of Pennsylvania to treat the microscopic disease for malignant pleural mesothelioma and to increase survival rate. When Photofrin is exposed to laser light at 630 nm in well-oxygenated tissue, it produces reacted singlet oxygen ([1O2]rx) that kills cancer cells. As [1O2]rx is imperative to PDT treatment efficacy, in this study we use COMSOL Multiphysics® software to simulate the distribution of [1O2]rx on every point of the plural cavity surface that is being treated. The geometry of the pleural cavity and the light fluence information were obtained during the surgery.