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Nonablative Fractional Laser Treatment Is Associated With a Decreased Risk of Subsequent Facial Keratinocyte
Travis A Benson1, Brian P Hibler, Dylan Kotliar
1Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts; Schweiger Dermatology Group, New York, New York; Dermatology Laser and Cosmetics Center, Department of Dermatology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts; Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts; and Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard, Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Nonablative fractional laser (NAFL) treatment may reduce the risk of developing new keratinocyte carcinoma (KC), a common skin cancer. This study suggests NAFL could be beneficial for KC prophylaxis.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Laser Medicine
Background:
- Keratinocyte carcinoma (KC) is the most common nonmelanoma skin cancer.
- Limited prophylactic treatment options exist for KC.
- Nonablative fractional lasers (NAFL) are FDA-approved for actinic damage but their role in KC prevention is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if NAFL treatment is associated with reduced subsequent facial KC development.
- To evaluate the prophylactic potential of NAFL for keratinocyte carcinoma.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective cohort study.
- Patients with a history of facial KC treated between 2005-2021 at MGH Dermatology Laser and Cosmetic Center.
- Comparison of subsequent KC development between 43 NAFL-treated patients and 52 matched controls.
Main Results:
- NAFL-treated patients had a 52% lower rate of subsequent facial KC development (20.9% vs. 40.4%).
- New facial KC developed significantly later in NAFL-treated patients compared to controls (p = .033).
- Adjusted analysis confirmed controls had a 2.65 times higher likelihood of developing new facial KC (p = .0169).
Conclusions:
- NAFL treatment is linked to a reduced risk of subsequent facial KC.
- NAFL may serve as a beneficial prophylactic option for keratinocyte carcinoma.
- Further research into NAFL for KC prophylaxis is warranted.
