Effect of skin tumor properties on laser penetration

Abstract

Computer modeling can be a valuable tool to determine the absorption of laser light in different skin layers. For this study, the optical properties of three different skin tumors were used in the model to evaluate the effect on penetration depth into the skin. Comparison between the healthy dermis and the skin tumors indicated that up to 28 % more laser light is absorbed in the healthy dermis than in the tumor tissue. This has implications on the laser dose applied to the skin for treatment.