Photodynamic therapy for pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma: a case report

SIGNIFICANCE: Pulmonary mucoepidermoid carcinoma (PMEC) is a rare salivary glandtype tumor with no standard treatment. While photodynamic therapy (PDT) shows promise in early-stage central lung cancers, its role in PMEC remains underexplored. APPROACH: We report a case of a 46-year-old male with low-grade PMEC of the left main bronchus. After initial bronchoscopic electrosnare resection, recurrence occurred 2 years later. The patient was treated with PDT, consisting of three consecutive daily sessions over three days using a 630 nm light source (0.9 W). Each treatment included two light exposures, with a total irradiation time of 600 seconds (540 J) for the first two sessions and 300 seconds (270 J) for the final session. RESULTS: PDT resulted in complete tumor response, with no residual tumor cells on histology. Follow-up over 38 months confirmed no recurrence. CONCLUSIONS: This case demonstrates PDT as a minimally invasive therapy for early stage PMEC, warranting further investigation.