Treatment effective for the majority of basal cell skin cancers in only one visit.

Wausau, WI (August 5, 2021) – Effective and aesthetically appealing management options are needed for basal cell carcinoma (BCC), the most common skin cancer. The combination of the Nd:YAG laser with Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT) can provide an effective non-invasive treatment that eliminates the need for biopsy and excision.

In this latest study on BCC, the 1064-nanometer wavelength Nd:YAG laser was applied and tumor margins were measured using OCT. Patients received treatments every two months until no residual tumors remained and were monitored for one year after treatment to document any potential tumor recurrence.

In the clinical report, “Combining Nd:YAG laser with optical coherence tomography for nonsurgical treatment of basal cell carcinoma,” authors Orit Markowitz, MD and Moshe Y. Bressler, DO look at 119 basal cell carcinomas in 102 patients.

The study, published in Lasers in Surgery and Medicine (LSM), the official journal of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS), was selected as the August 2021 Editor’s Choice.

“This study continues to demonstrate that combining non-invasive imaging and lasers is the safest non-invasive treatment for basal cell carcinoma,” said Markowitz. “What is most interesting is the fact that we can treat the majority of basal cell skin cancers in only one visit, and we can also pinpoint specific factors that delay total clearance.”

Results showed that with the combined laser approach, 71.4% of tumors were cleared after just one session with the Nd:YAG laser and the rate of complete clearance without visible recurrence in all patients was 98%. These results prove the efficacy of treating non-melanoma skin cancers with non-invasive lasers can be superior to more common treatments like excision and radiation.

Dr. Orit Markowitz is a dermatologist, skin cancer specialist, founder and medical director of OptiSkin on New York’s Upper East Side. She diagnoses and treats skin cancer and has been called a dermatologic pioneer for her groundbreaking work developing minimally invasive diagnostic and treatment protocols for skin cancer.

Dr. Moshe Bressler recently graduated from NYIT-COM and has spent two years in an intensive non-invasive imaging fellowship with Dr. Orit Markowitz at SUNY Downstate and the Brooklyn VA.

Editor’s Choice is an exclusive article published in LSM.  View the complete manuscript.

The American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, Inc. (ASLMS) is the largest multidisciplinary professional organization dedicated to the development and application of lasers and related technology for health care applications. ASLMS promotes excellence in patient care by advancing biomedical application of lasers and other related technologies worldwide. ASLMS membership includes physicians, surgeons, nurses, and allied health professionals representing multiple specialties, physicists involved in product development, biomedical engineers, biologists, industry representatives and manufacturers. For more information, visit aslms.org.