A new laser treatment for early vocal-cord cancer has been used to successfully restore patients' voices without radiotherapy or traditional surgery, which can permanently damage vocal quality.

The method has been used in more than 25 patients using a pulsed Potassium-Titanyl-Phosphate (KTP) laser.

"We had previously adapted lasers that target blood vessels to treat precancerous vocal-cord dysplasia and a variety of benign vascular lesions," said Steven Zeitels, director of Massachusetts General Hospital Voice Center.

"We have now applied that experience to treat vocal-cord cancer."

The research team began using pulsed lasers for the treatment of early vocal-cord cancer more than five years ago and successfully treated eight patients with a pulsed-dye laser. The laser uses specific wavelengths of light to target blood vessels.

After initial success the team switched to the more precise pulsed KTP laser, which is even less likely to damage delicate vocal-cord tissue.

The first 22 patients receiving pulsed laser treatment for vocal-cord cancer were found to be cancer-free up to five years after treatment, without removal of vocal-cord tissue or loss of voice quality. Some have required second or third laser treatments to remove residual disease, but another benefit of the therapy is that it does not rule out future therapeutic options.

It is estimated that 90 per cent of patients with early vocal-cord cancer would be candidates for pulsed-KTP laser treatment.

"Currently the optimal angiolytic laser for vocal-cord problems, the pulsed-KTP laser is a critical innovation in the instrumentation arsenal of the laryngeal surgeon," said Mr Zeitels.

"It has greatly enhanced the precision by which we can perform many procedures for chronic laryngeal diseases, both in the operating room, accompanied by the surgical microscope, and in the office."

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