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Over the past several decades hundreds of cancer patients have been treated with PDT in both clinical trials and off label. PDT has been used for a wide variety of malignancies, including lung, esophageal, head and neck and pancreatic cancer, as well as mesothelioma. Treatment regimens and photosensitizer usage has also been variable. The knowledge gained from these studies has helped PDT to move into acceptance within some areas of the medical community, but the progress has been slow. This is due in part to a lack of Phase II and III randomized clinical trials in which PDT is measured against the standard of care. In addition, the wide variety of treatment parameters and study protocols has made it difficult to draw general conclusions on the factors that affect the efficacy of PDT. The knowledge gained from these studies has helped PDT to move into acceptance within some areas of the medical community, but the progress has been slow. The Registry will be grouped by disease site; we have developed lung, esophageal and mesothelioma to date with plans to expand to other sites. Data collected within the registry will include patient characteristics, PDT procedure specifics, outcomes, complications and quality of life assessments. Data will be searchable and the registry will be set up to provide reports to specific inquiries. Registry participation is open to all clinicians and researchers. A demonstration of the registry and its attributes will be given during this talk.
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