Treatment of Basal Cell Carcinoma With PDL and Nd:YAG Lasers: A Systematic Review.

BACKGROUNDLaser-based therapies, including pulsed dye laser (PDL) and neodymium-doped yttrium aluminum garnet (Nd:YAG) laser, have emerged as nonsurgical alternatives for the treatment of basal cell carcinoma (BCC), particularly in patients unsuitable for surgery.

OBJECTIVEThe purpose of this systematic review was to summarize the laser settings and outcomes of PDL and Nd:YAG laser for the treatment of BCC.

METHODSPubMed, Cochrane, and EMBASE databases were searched, and studies reporting original outcome data on PDL and Nd:YAG laser treatments of BCCs were included.

RESULTSOf 670 articles, 28 met inclusion criteria. Nd:YAG laser therapy demonstrates a histologic clearance rate of 95% (157/167 BCCs) and clinical clearance rate of 95% (813/857 BCCs). PDL laser therapy demonstrates a histologic clearance rate of 64% (104/163 BCCs) and clinical clearance rate of 90% (863/958 BCCs). Frequently used laser settings are summarized with descriptive statistics.

CONCLUSIONNd:YAG laser and PDL may be considered as nonsurgical treatment options for low-risk BCC. Further studies are needed to optimize protocols and assess long-term outcomes.

Abstract from PubMed