The main stages of development and establishment of photodynamic therapy (PDT) in Russia are described in the article. Brief description of photosensitizers approved for clinical use in Russia including fotogem, photosens, alasens, radachlorine and fotoditazin is represented. Their physical and chemical and spectral characteristics, drug formulations, results of pre-clinical studies and post-marketing experience are shown. Main research centers dealing with PDT are listed.

New medical technology of photodynamic therapy for cancer of hollow organs with photosens determines parameters of irradiation (sites of placement and position of light guide, number of positions and duration of irradiation) to reduce probability of injury during irradiation of intact mucosa in hollow organ due to optimization of light dose. The technology allows to avoid inflammatory and necrotic injury of intact mucosa on the contralateral wall of organ and late complications and to achieve complete tumor regression depending on localization in 73–87% of cases for follow-up period from 1 to 11 years.

On model of experimental sarcoma М-1 the efficiency of photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been studied with using as photosensitizer boronated chlorine. The doses of the last was 5 mg/kg of mass of an animal. A laser irradiation was spent at densities of energy 150 J/cm² and power 0,25 V/cm². Effect PDT was estimated by percent of animals with full regress of the tumor, to quantity of relapses, and in situation of the tumor growth by dynamic of coefficient of absolute it increase. Experiences have been lead on 6 pubertal rats. As the control not treated animals with tumor served. Researches have shown, that efficiency of PDT depends on a dose boronated chlorine and conditions of a laser irradiation.

Results of fluorescence diagnosis (FD) with alasens in 237 patients with skin cancer are represented. The average age of patients accounted for 63±11 y.o. The indications for FD were the borders adjustment for skin cancer of different localizations prior to special treatment and also the search for occult foci of malignant lesion. There were two groups of patients: patients with locally advanced head and neck carcinomas, who had FD prior to surgical treatment, and patients with cancer of different localization, who had FD prior to photodynamic therapy (PDT). FD permitted to adjust borders of detected tumor foci in 100% of patients that impacted on extent of resection during surgery in group 1 of patients and helped planning fields of laser irradiation for PDT session in group 2 of patients. Due to FD with alasens 506 foci of additional fluorescence were detected in 118 (53.1%) of 222 patients in group 2, skin cancer was diagnosed morphologically in 63 patients (28.4%) of them.

Results of local fluorescence spectroscopy in 185 women with underlying and pre-invasive disease of cervix and high-risk HPV infection are represented. Fluorescence study was performed 2h after intravenous injection of fotoditazin in a dose of 1 mg/kg (wavelength 636.5 nm). Accumulation of the photosensitizer was estimated by diagnostic parameter (DP) value, calculated as mean value of fluorescence scaled to each type of tissue. For normal tissues DP accounted for 0.6±0.4, showing accumulation of the photosensitizer. According to the study the medication did not also accumulate in retention cysts (DP 0.3±0.1), explaining low efficiency of photodynamic therapy for this pathology. The accumulation of fotoditazin depends significantly on type of pathologic tissue. In patients with inflammation, leukoplakia and CIN I accumulation of the photosensitizer in pathologic foci was negligible: DP accounted for 1.7±0.2, 1.8±0.2 and 2.1±0.3, respectively. In sites of endometriosis and CIN II DP was significantly higher and accounted for 8.3±2.1 and 14.1±4.1, respectively. The greatest accumulation of the photosensitizer was registered in sites of CIN III, squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma. Though DP value for these pathologies had almost no difference and accounted for 23.1±4.7, 22.7±1.8 and 23.3±1.4, respectively. For fluorescence diagnosis of severe dysplasia in 48% of patients borders of fluorescence regions were beyond lesions detected for extended colposcopy with additional areas of fluorescence. Targeted biopsy of these regions proved pathology in all patients: CIN II, CIN III, mild dysplasia or CIS. Thus, local spectroscopy allows to diagnosis multifocal lesions on cervix, to define correctly borders of lesion and consider excisional biopsy in-time.