The use of lasers in treatment of cancerous lesions in the mouth
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Citation
Abstract
The goal of this study was to explore the use of lasers in the treatment of oral leukoplakia, and to compare the recurrence and malignant transformation rates of laser treated oral leukoplakia to those treated by traditional surgical methods. Data used in this study was obtained via a search of scientific, medical, and dental journals for studies that used lasers to treat oral leukoplakia. While collecting data, meta-analyses and systematic reviews were sought out to gauge the depth of the current research on the topic. Location of lesions were mentioned in the context of recurrence and malignant transformation rates but was not the focus of the study. The data supported that laser surgery, overall, did result in lower recurrence rates, but malignant transformation rates remain unchanged regardless of the type of surgical excision used to treat the lesions. Malignant transformation rates did change depending on if the lesion was excised or if the lesion was not treated at all. It was concluded that malignant transformation rates depend on other factors such as gender, smoking habits, and initial lesion diagnosis.
The current data focusses heavily on the use of CO2 lasers rather than other types of lasers, which does impact the quality of overall conclusions deducted from the literature review. Although CO2 lasers are highly effective tools, they are the largest and most expensive laser which makes them less widely available for mainstream use as a treatment protocol for oral leukoplakia. This literature review comprehensively examines the various types of lasers, how each laser effects recurrence and malignancy rates, and analyzes the current data and meta-analyses to see where the research still can be improved. Aspects of laser treatment that were seemingly neglected in current research include factoring in laser price and size in effectiveness, as larger units such as the CO2 unit are not readily available for providers. Further, since lasers have been proven to be an effective treatment approach for oral leukoplakia, it would be beneficial to directly compare each type of laser to each other, rather than to traditional excision methods.