Case Analysis on Real Life Incidence of Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) Safety Outcomes (CALIPSO)

Three main adverse reactions, namely photosensitivity (reaction that is similar to sunburn), oesophageal stenosis (narrowing or closure of the food pipe), perforation of the treated area (a tear or puncture of the tissue), have been identified in research studies evaluating photodynamic therapy (PDT) with porfimer sodium. Because of the low incidence of the disease or the variation in the occurrence of these adverse reactions among different indications, it is difficult to determine the occurrence and frequency of these safety issues in routine clinical practice.

This post-marketing safety surveillance registry is set-up to evaluate the safety of PDT using porfimer sodium. A registry allows the collection of data to evaluate real-world results in the practice of medicine. The registry will monitor the patient's health and any events, with a main focus on photosensitivity, oesophageal stenosis, and perforation of the treated area. This registry will involve 500 patients, across 20 to 36 hospitals in the US and Europe, scheduled to receive an injection of porfimer sodium with PDT for the treatment of lung cancer, esophageal [food pipe] cancer, or high-grade dysplasia (HGD) (precancerous change in the food pipe tissue) in Barrett's esophagus.