Published online Nov 6, 2018. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v6.i13.650
Peer-review started: July 19, 2018
First decision: August 25, 2018
Revised: September 13, 2018
Accepted: October 11, 2018
Article in press: October 11, 2018
Published online: November 6, 2018
Processing time: 110 Days and 2.4 Hours
Core tip: Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is minimally invasive compared with chemotherapy and radiotherapy for the treatment of cancers. Limited data exist regarding the efficacy of PDT alone or combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the treatment of middle-advanced stage upper gastrointestinal carcinomas. Therefore, we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis of ten available randomized controlled clinical trials that addressed the efficacy of PDT alone or combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients with middle-advanced stage upper gastrointestinal carcinomas. Our analysis showed that PDT may be suitable for single or combined treatment of middle-advanced stage upper gastrointestinal carcinomas, especially for elderly patients, those with severe diseases, those with severe complications, and those unwilling to undergo surgery.