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Published on: September 14, 2010
Laser Therapy for Cutaneous Kaposi Sarcoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
Tomer Mimouni1, Meital Oren-Shabtai1,2, Aviv Barzilai1,3
1Gray Faculty of Medical and Health Sciences, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv 6997801, Israel.
Background:
Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a human herpesvirus-8-associated vascular malignancy with four subtypes. Although several local therapies are available for cutaneous lesions, no standard treatment exists. Laser therapy is a minimally invasive treatment option; however, its efficacy and safety remain unclear.
Objectives:
To systematically review and analyze the available literature on the efficacy and safety of laser-based treatment protocols for cutaneous KS lesions.
Methods:
A comprehensive literature search was conducted up to August 2025 to identify randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case series with ≥3 patients who received laser therapy for cutaneous KS. Data on patient and disease characteristics, laser protocols, outcomes and adverse events were extracted from the included studies.
Results:
Eight studies involving 79 patients with 371 treated lesions were included in this systematic review. The reported outcome rates varied greatly between different modalities, with inconsistent outcome definitions. No recurrence was reported in seven studies, whereas the condition in all cases in the eighth study recurred. Overall, laser therapy was well tolerated with minimal adverse effects, including mild atrophic scarring, transient post-inflammatory changes, and hyperpigmentation. Six studies were eligible for meta-analysis, yielding a pooled significant response rate of 88% (95% CI: 44.1-98.6%, I2 = 86.3%).
Conclusions:
Available data indicate that laser therapy may represent a safe and effective option for cutaneous KS, particularly Nd:YAG, which demonstrated good efficacy with low recurrence rates; however, further research is required to define its efficacy more precisely and to standardize treatment protocols.
Insights
Laser therapy shows promise for treating Kaposi sarcoma (KS) skin lesions, with high response rates and minimal side effects. Further research is needed to standardize protocols for this human herpesvirus-8-associated malignancy.
Area of Science:
- Dermatology
- Oncology
- Vascular Malignancies
Background:
- Kaposi sarcoma (KS) is a human herpesvirus-8-associated vascular malignancy.
- Limited standard treatments exist for cutaneous KS lesions.
- Laser therapy is a potential minimally invasive option with unclear efficacy and safety.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically review the efficacy and safety of laser therapy for cutaneous KS.
- Analyze available literature on laser treatment protocols for KS.
Main Methods:
- Comprehensive literature search up to August 2025.
- Included randomized controlled trials, observational studies, and case series (≥3 patients).
- Extracted data on patient/disease characteristics, laser protocols, outcomes, and adverse events.
Main Results:
- Eight studies with 79 patients and 371 treated lesions were reviewed.
- Pooled response rate of 88% (95% CI: 44.1-98.6%) in meta-analysis.
- Laser therapy generally well-tolerated with minimal adverse effects; Nd:YAG showed good efficacy with low recurrence.
Conclusions:
- Laser therapy may be a safe and effective option for cutaneous KS.
- Nd:YAG laser demonstrated particular efficacy with low recurrence rates.
- Further research is required to precisely define efficacy and standardize treatment protocols.
