PDT efficacy depends on the concentration of photosensitizer, oxygen, and light delivery in patient tissues. In this study, we measure the in-vivo distribution of important dosimetric parameters, namely the tissue optical properties (absorption μa (λ) and scattering μs ' (λ) coefficients), photofrin concentration (cphotofrin), blood oxygen saturation (%StO2), and total hemoglobin concentration (THC), before and after PDT. We characterize the inter- and intra-patient heterogeneity of these quantities and explore how these properties change as a result of PDT treatment. The result suggests the need for real-time dosimetry during PDT to optimize the treatment condition depending on the optical and physiological properties.
Keywords: blood oxygen saturation; diffuse reflectance; photodynamic therapy; tissue optical properties; total hemoglobin concentration.