Removing a tumor with a laser beam is not as effective as removing it with conventional surgery. A surgeon removes all the visible tumor, the tumor below the surface of the organ and a wide margin of tissue on each side. The laser operator removes only the visible tumor on the organ's surface. But tumors are like icebergs. What is visible is simply the tip of a much greater mass below the surface. After laser treatment, the bulk of the tumor is still in place.
Photodynamic Laser Therapy In some cases, laser therapy can be made more effective by the use of photodynamic therapy . This involves injecting a chemical before the laser treatment that can make tissue more sensitive to light. Malignant tissues have a special affinity for light with a specific wavelength. After a tumor is sensitized by hematoporphyrin, for example, the laser is more selective in its cell-destroying action.
