Transient liver toxicity as a result of the oral administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid for photodynamic diagnosis in patients with bladder cancer

Noninvasive Ultra Low Intensity Light Photodynamic Treatment of Glioblastoma with Drug Augmentation: LoGlo PDT Regimen

This paper presents the basis for LoGlo PDT, a new treatment for glioblastoma. Glioblastoma is currently treated with maximal safe resection, temozolomide, and ionizing irradiation. Mortality in 2024 remains over 80% within several years from diagnosis. Oral 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is an FDA/EMA approved drug that is selectively taken up by malignant cells, including by glioblastoma. In photodynamic treatment of glioblastoma, intense intraoperative light causes glioblastoma tissue that has taken up 5-ALA to generate cytotoxic reactive oxygen species. The requirement for intense light flux has restricted photodynamic treatment to a single one-hour intraoperative session. We analyze here published data showing that external light, illuminating the entire intact scalp, can attain low μW/cm2 flux several cm into intact brain that would be sufficient to mediate 5-ALA photodynamic treatment of glioblastoma if the light and 5-ALA are delivered continuously over 24 h. At the core of LoGlo PDT regimen is the dataset showing that, for a given fluence, as the duration of PDT light delivery goes down, light intensity (flux) delivered must go up to achieve the same glioblastoma cell cytotoxicity as would a weaker light (lower flux) delivered over a longer time. Thus, a repetitive, noninvasive PDT of glioblastoma using an external light source may be possible. We analyze 5-ALA cellular physiology to show that three non-oncology drugs, ciprofloxacin, deferiprone, and telmisartan, can be repurposed to increase light energy capture after 5-ALA, thereby increasing photodynamic treatment's glioblastoma cell cytotoxicity. The LoGlo PDT approach uses both drug augmentation and prolonged ultra-low noninvasive transcranial light delivery for a repetitive, noninvasive 5-ALA photodynamic treatment of glioblastoma.

Identification of risk factors associated with oral 5-aminolevulinic acid induced adverse events in photodynamic diagnosis-transurethral resection of bladder tumor

BACKGROUND

Oral 5-aminolevulinic acid for transurethral resection of bladder tumor reduces bladder cancer recurrence compared with standard white-light transurethral resection of bladder tumor. However, data regarding risks of adverse events with this drug are unclear. The aim of the present study was to identify risk factors associated with oral 5-aminolevulinic acid induced adverse events in photodynamic diagnosis-transurethral resection of bladder tumor.

METHODS

We studied 104 cases of 5-aminolevulinic acid-photodynamic diagnosis-transurethral resection of bladder tumor from October 2021 to April 2023, administering 20 mg/kg 5-aminolevulinic acid orally at least 2 h pre-surgery. Four major adverse events associated with 5-aminolevulinic acid were selected to identify risk factors for their occurrence, including perioperative hypotension, nausea and/or vomiting, photosensitivity, and liver dysfunction. Univariate and multivariate analyses were conducted to identify the risk factors of those adverse events.

RESULTS

Perioperative hypotension (11.5 %), nausea and/or vomiting (37.5 %) photosensitivity (31.7 %), and liver dysfunction (51.9 %) were observed. Multivariate analyses revealed that spinal anesthesia was associated with hypotension (p = 0.02), whereas advanced age (p < 0.01) and higher body mass index (p < 0.01) were associated with nausea and/or vomiting. Also, male sex (p < 0.01) and longer operative time (p = 0.01) were associated with photosensitivity, and renin-angiotensin system inhibitors use was associated with postoperative liver dysfunction (p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

For elderly male obese patients taking renin-angiotensin system inhibitors, particular attention is needed during the perioperative period of photodynamic diagnosis-transurethral resection of bladder tumor under spinal anesthesia due to the higher risk of onset of the adverse events involved in oral administration of 5-aminolevulinic acid.

Comparison of PDD-TURBT alone versus white light TURBT plus intravesical BCG therapy: A propensity-score matching study

BACKGROUND

Although photodynamic-diagnosed transurethral resection of bladder cancer (PDD-TURBT) and Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) intravesical instillation are the two representative therapies for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), no studies directly compare their efficacy. We evaluated the outcome of PDD-TURBT alone compared with white light TURBT with intravesical BCG therapy and analyzed the efficacy of both therapies depending on the characteristics of the tumors.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed intermediate- and high-risk NMIBC patients treated with PDD-TURBT alone (the PDD group) or white light TURBT with BCG therapy (the white light group) using propensity score matched analysis.

RESULTS

In the propensity score matched cohort, the 1-, 2-, and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates for the PDD group were 77.6 %, 64.1 %, and 48.1 %, respectively, compared to 84.6 %, 75.1 %, and 75.1 % for the white light group (p = 0.44, 0.27, 0.17, respectively). The difference in recurrence rates between the two groups tended to become more pronounced over time, although there was no significant difference. In the univariate and multivariate analysis, recurrence, multiplicity, and tumor grade were the significant prognostic factors of recurrence in the PDD group (p = 0.010, 0.047, 0.048, respectively). Long-term RFS was similar in the PDD and white light groups when the population was limited to the primary and single tumors, suggesting that PDD-TURBT alone may be sufficient in this spectrum of patients.

CONCLUSIONS

PDD-TURBT alone is insufficient to control the long-term recurrence of bladder cancer but can be effective in selected cases such as primary and single tumors.

Comparative assessment of disease recurrence after transurethral resection of non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer with and without a photodynamic diagnosis using 5-aminolevulinic acid: a propensity score-matching analysis

BACKGROUND

Among patients with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC), systematic reviews showed lower recurrence rate in patients treated with photodynamic diagnosis (PDD)-assisted transurethral resection of bladder tumor (TURBT) than with white-light (WL) TURBT. However, the result is not consistent between clinical trials and the significance of preoperatively available factors in disease recurrence after PDD-TURBT remains unclear.

METHODS

The present study retrospectively analyzed 1174 NMIBC patients who underwent TURBT and were followed up for ≥ 6 months. Among 1174 patients, 385 and 789 underwent PDD-TURBT with oral 5-aminolevulinic acid (the PDD group) and WL-TURBT (the WL group), respectively. Recurrence-free survival (RFS) was compared between the PDD and WL groups before and after propensity score matching, and the impact of several baseline parameters on RFS between the 2 groups was investigated after matching.

RESULTS

Before propensity score matching, RFS was significantly longer in the PDD group than in the WL group (P = 0.006). After matching, 383 patients were included in both groups, and RFS was significantly longer in the PDD group than in the WL group (P < 0.001). In the cohort after matching, RFS between the two groups was compared in each subgroup classified according to baseline parameters, including age, sex, history of previous or concomitant upper urinary tract urothelial carcinoma, preoperative urinary cytology, tumor multiplicity, and tumor size, and significantly longer RFS was observed in the PDD group in all subgroups, except for the patients with tumors ≥ 30 mm (P = 0.21).

CONCLUSION

These results suggest that PDD-TURBT prolongs RFS in NMIBC patients, except for those with tumors ≥ 30 mm.

Risks and benefits of transurethral resection of the bladder tumor using photodynamic diagnosis with oral 5-aminolevulinic acid hydrochloride according to age and history of recurrence in patients with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer

BACKGROUND

Patient selection for transurethral resection of the bladder tumor using photodynamic diagnosis (PDD-TURBT) with oral 5-aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) hydrochloride for non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) is still unclear as to the best balance of risks (adverse events including hypotension) and benefits (reduction of intravesical recurrence).

METHODS

This single-center retrospective study between April 2013 and March 2022, compared the intravesical recurrence-free survival between patients who underwent PDD-TURBT and WL-TURBT using propensity score matching.

RESULTS

A total of 222 patients who underwent PDD-TURBT and 177 patients who underwent WL-TURBT for NMIBC were included. Propensity score matching was used to compare intravesical recurrence-free survival in 119 NMIBC patients in the both treatment groups. The intravesical recurrence-free survival within 500 days was significantly higher in the PDD-TURBT group than in the WL-TURBT group (P = 0.039; hazard ratio [HR] 0.48 [0.23-0.98]). Subgroup analysis showed that PDD-TURBT contributed to the reduction of short-term intravesical recurrence in patients aged < 75 years (P = 0.02; HR 0.22 [0.06-0.79]) and primary disease (P = 0.038; HR 0.35 [0.13-0.94]). Hypotension with a systolic blood pressure of < 80 mmHg was observed in 79 patients (35.6%) during PDD-TURBT surgery. In particular, age ≥75 years and general anesthesia were independent prognostic factors for predicting intraoperative hypotension.

CONCLUSIONS

PDD-TURBT reduced short-term intravesical recurrence in NMIBC, whereas a higher frequency of hypotension was found in patients aged ≥ 75 years. These results suggest that the risks and benefits of PDD-TURBT are well balanced in younger patients (< 75 years) and those with primary disease.