Published in:
01-05-2017 | Review
Laser and light-based therapy for cutaneous and soft-tissue metastases of malignant melanoma: a systematic review
Authors:
Evan Austin, Andrew Mamalis, Derek Ho, Jared Jagdeo
Published in:
Archives of Dermatological Research
|
Issue 4/2017
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Abstract
Invasive cutaneous melanoma is a growing health concern. Although surgical excision can effectively treat in situ tumors, use for metastatic melanoma is limited. Laser and light-based therapies may be a valuable palliative treatment option for patients with stage III and stage IV cutaneous metastatic melanoma. Our goal is to review the published literature and provide evidence-based recommendations on laser and light-based palliative therapies for metastatic melanoma. A search of the databases Pubmed, EMBASE, Web of Science, and CINAHL was performed on March 10, 2016. Key search terms were related to melanoma, laser, and light-based modalities. Our search initially identified 13,923 articles and 27 original articles met inclusion criteria for our review. Grade of recommendation: C for non-fractionated carbon dioxide laser, Grade of recommendation: D for fractionated carbon dioxide laser, ruby laser, neodymium laser, near-infrared diode laser, and photodynamic therapy. Non-fractionated carbon dioxide laser had the best palliative efficacy of the reviewed laser and light-based therapies, while other treatment modalities may have potential as adjunctive therapy to standard of care.