Volume 17, Number 4, December 2005
| | Effects of Carbon Dioxide Laser Vaporisation on Oral Precancerous Lesions: Promotional Effects for Malignant Transformation |
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Shinichi Takeuchi,1,2 Kenji Yoshida,1 Mugio Kato,1 Kenichi Kurita,1 Masae Tatematsu3
1First Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, School of Dentistry, Aichi-Gakuin University, 2Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Nagoya-Ekisaikai Hospital, and 3Laboratory of Pathology, Aichi Cancer Research Institute, Nagoya, Japan
Abstract
Objective: To investigate the effects of carbon dioxide laser vaporisation on oral precancerous lesions.
Patients and Methods: Oral precancerous lesions were induced in rat tongues by 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide. Four types of surgical intervention were applied to the precancerous lesions: steel scalpel excision (group 2), electric scalpel excision (group 3), 1-time carbon dioxide laser vaporisation (group 4), and 3-time carbon dioxide laser vaporisation (group 5). The epithelium was incised and vaporised on suitable precancerous lesions in a crosswise pattern. The process of wound healing was evaluated histopathologically 16 weeks after wound initiation, and the results compared with a group receiving no treatment (group 1).
Results: The incidence of cancer was lower in all surgical treatment groups than in the group receiving no treatment. However, both laser vaporisation groups tended to show a wider area of invasive cancer than the group receiving no treatment and the electric scalpel groups, and deeper invasion than the group receiving no treatment. Cancer invasion was significantly deeper in group 5 (p < 0.05).
Conclusions: There is a risk of cancer promotion from the surviving epithelia if the oral precancerous lesions were not completely removed by laser therapy. Laser vaporisation involves a high risk for cancer promotion.
Key words: Lasers, Precancerous conditions, Wound healing
Asian J Oral Maxillofac Surg. 2005;17:217-222.
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