[CO2 laser in treating head and neck cancer]

CO2 laser is especially useful in treating cancer of tube- and cavity-organs. For carcinomas of the tongue, we have employed three types of laser usage. Carcinomas confined within the mucosa are treated by laser alone. For carcinomas invading the muscle to some extent, we make a mass reduction surgery by means of laser which is followed by (chemo)radiotherapy. Carcinomas with extensive muscular invasion are first treated with induction chemotherapy. If the chemotherapy is effective, we add laser surgery for the purpose of mass reduction and chemoradiotherapy follows. 26 patients were treated and none has developed local recurrence. For glottic carcinomas, we have applied laser in two ways: laser surgery alone and laser combined with (chemo)radiotherapy. We have treated 58 patients with glottic carcinoma. 14 developed local recurrence. Of these 14, 13 were successfully treated but the other died because he refused to have further treatment.