Interstitial photodynamic therapy (IPDT) using Photofrin II (PII) as photosensitizer has been studied in the rat rhabdomyosarcoma R-1, growing on the thigh or flank of WAG-Rij rats. A light dose-response relationship has been established, for 10 mg PII/kg i.v. and irradiation 24 hr later, with local tumor control as the end point for single IPDT treatments using four cylindrical diffusors simultaneously. A light energy fluence of 150-200 Joule/cm2 (wavelength 625 nm), measured in vivo at the tumor periphery, was required for tumor control. Comparison of tumor response at 5 and 2.5 mg PII/kg with the complete dose response relationship at 10 mg PII/kg suggests drug-light dose reciprocity and indicates that in our tumor model treatment failures are not likely to be caused by variations in (tumor) tissue photosensitizer level, but rather by insufficient light dose or inadequate light dose distribution. Increasing the interval between PII administration and irradiation from 24 hr to 48 hr had no great effect on tumor response to IPDT in this study. Inspection of the original tumor site 100 days after tumor control revealed obvious loss of thigh muscle tissue. Also, recurrent tumors showed a reduced growth rate. Therefore, the relationship between tumor (re)growth and PDT-induced normal tissue damage was studied and the existence of a tumor bed effect was confirmed. The present study indicates that tumor control after a single IPDT treatment is feasible, but that PDT induced damage to a margin of the adjacent normal tissue is probably required.