Hematoporphyrin Derivative Photoradiation Therapy Applied in Gynecology

To the Editor. —I read with interest the article in the JulyArchivesregarding hematoporphyrin derivatives in photoradiation therapy. 1 I found a number of references to this subject appearing in the literature. When I introduced porphyrins to clinical medicine in 1955, at the Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, 2 I originally used it as a surgical tool. At that time, we delineated lesions with UV light, following intravenous administration of hematoporphyrin and based our surgical excisions on the fluorescent margins. Subsequently, in an unpublished series, Division of Neurological Surgery at Johns Hopkins Hospital, I did a series of 25 intracranial neoplasms therapeutically treated with standard and conventional radiation at that time with and without porphyrin. With conventional radiation, I am sorry to state that there was no difference in the long-term survival of these tumor patients. I thought I would call this early work to your attention in view of