Powerful neodymium laser radiation for the treatment of facial carcinoma: 5 year follow-up data.

A retrospective non-comparative follow-up study was performed to evaluate the curative efficacy of powerful neodymium laser radiation (λ = 1,060 nm) for the treatment of 2,837 patients with 3,001 histologically confirmed facial skin carcinoma lesions of stages T1-2N0M0: 2,743 primary basal cell carcinomas (BCC), 172 recurrent limited basal cell carcinomas (RLBCC), and 86 primary squamous cells carcinomas (SCC). All patients were followed-up from 5 to 11 years (mean: 8.2 years; median: 7.0 years) after treatment. The overall recurrence rate (RR) after treatment with laser radiation of facial carcinomas was 2.5% of all irradiated tumours (mean: 13.4 months; median: 11.0 months). Patients with BCC treated by radiation with the pulsed Neodymium (Nd) laser developed RR in 2.2% of cases and patients treated with the Nd:YAG laser had RR of 3.1%. Recurrences following treatment for RLBCC, and those of SCC, after irradiation with the Nd laser appeared in 4.1% and 4.6% of patients, respectively. Neodymium laser radiation is a safe and effective means of treating facial carcinomas of stages T1-2N0M0 with good cosmetic results.