Laser therapy in the management of benign and malignant tumours in the colon and rectum.

Since 1983 the Neodymium-YAG laser has been used endoscopically to treat 93 patients with inoperable colorectal carcinoma and 18 patients with benign sessile adenomas. In an additional 11 patients with colorectal cancer, photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been applied using an argon-pumped dye laser. Objective and subjective measurements of quality of life have shown the beneficial effects of the Nd-YAG laser in the relief of symptoms, and four patients have apparently been rendered disease free. Benign tumours also respond to Nd-YAG ablation but close histological supervision is necessary to detect malignant transformation at an early stage. Although PDT may offer a potential for cure in small inoperable tumours, it seems likely that Nd-YAG laser treatment will remain the laser option of choice for advanced bulky tumours.