Heal House Vitiligo Research 28 · Original Article
Does long-term excimer laser treatment for vitiligo increase the risk of skin cancer?
The 308-nm excimer laser treatment does not increase the risk of skin cancer in patients with vitiligo: A population-based retrospective cohort study
Final review
In short
Even after long-term excimer laser treatment, the risk of skin cancer did not increase in vitiligo patients. This safety finding was confirmed by analyzing data from over 5,000 Korean patients.
"I've been getting laser treatment for so long—won't I get skin cancer later?" This is a common concern among people who receive excimer laser treatment for a long time. It is natural to feel anxious when repeatedly exposed to ultraviolet light. However, large-scale data confirming whether this treatment actually increases skin cancer has been scarce. So, we used National Health Insurance data to follow vitiligo patients over a long period and sought to answer this question.
Q1 Does long-term use of a laser really increase skin cancer risk?
To give you the conclusion first, it did not. We divided 5,052 vitiligo patients into three groups based on the number of laser treatments: those who never received treatment, those who received 50–99 sessions, and those who received 100 or more sessions. There was no difference between the groups in actinic keratosis (a pre-cancerous stage), non-melanoma skin cancer, or melanoma. This means that even patients who received more than 100 treatments over a long period had no different risk than those who never received treatment. The excimer laser is a treatment that is narrowly applied only to white patches, and this large-scale data supports its safety. Of course, ultraviolet light itself should be handled with care, so please continue to take routine sun protection on areas outside the treatment site as usual.
Q2 How was this confirmed?
We confirmed this on a nationwide scale using National Health Insurance data. We excluded the two years 2007–2008 to set a baseline, and examined the period from 2009 to 2016. We tracked the actual number of excimer laser treatments received by vitiligo patients and the skin diseases that developed afterward over a long follow-up period. The results remained the same even after adjusting for factors that could affect the outcome, such as age. The table below summarizes at a glance what this study compared and how.
Study at a Glance
| Item | Content |
|---|---|
| Target | 5,052 vitiligo patients |
| Comparison groups | Three groups by number of excimer laser treatments (0 sessions / 50–99 sessions / 100 or more sessions) |
| Observation period | 2009–2016 (the preceding 2 years were excluded for baseline adjustment) |
| Conditions examined | Actinic keratosis, non-melanoma skin cancer, melanoma |
| Result | No difference in risk among the three groups |
Closing remarks
Thanks to this, we can now tell patients who need long-term laser treatment with evidence: "This treatment does not increase skin cancer, so you can be reassured." Even if a treatment is effective, it is difficult to recommend it with peace of mind if its safety has not been confirmed. This result has greatly alleviated that concern. This study provides evidence to use the excimer laser more confidently.
