ArticleSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2020
Fractional CO2 laser therapy for genitourinary syndrome of menopause for breast cancer survivors.
Article in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2020. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 21 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
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Who cites it
21 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 43 citations in OpenAlex.
- Vaginal lasers for treating stress urinary incontinence in women.The Cochrane database of systematic reviews · 2025Pooled it
- Efficacy of a Mixed Wavelength Laser for Vaginal Health in Postmenopausal Women: A Randomized Controlled Trial.International journal of women's health · 2025Trial
- Pilot study of fractional COMaturitas · 2021Trial
- Vaginal Laser Treatment for Genitourinary Syndrome of the Menopause: A Dose-Determining Study in Breast Cancer Survivors.Lasers in surgery and medicine · 2026Article
- Fractional CO₂ vaginal laser therapy for genitourinary syndrome of menopause in breast cancer survivors: a scoping review.Lasers in medical science · 2026Article
- Management of Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Korean Breast Cancer Survivors by Fractional CO₂ Laser Treatment.Yonsei medical journal · 2026Article
- Efficacy of Erbium and COLasers in surgery and medicine · 2025Article
- COCancers · 2025Article
- Vaginal health in breast cancer survivors: a practical clinical approach.Therapeutic advances in medical oncology · 2025Review
- Effect of Vaginal Laser and Topical Therapies on Vulvovaginal Atrophy Symptoms in Breast Cancer Patients: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.Journal of clinical medicine · 2024Review
- Laser Therapy in Heavily Treated Oncological Patients Improves Vaginal Health Parameters.Cancers · 2024Article
- Practical Guidance on the Use of Vaginal Laser Therapy: Focus on Genitourinary Syndrome and Other Symptoms.International journal of women's health · 2024Review
- Article
- Vaginal Laser Treatment for the Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Breast Cancer Survivors: A Narrative Review.Cureus · 2023Review
- Genitourinary Syndrome of Menopause in Breast Cancer Survivors: Current Perspectives on the Role of Laser Therapy.International journal of women's health · 2023Review
- Vaginal Estrogen Therapy for the Genitourinary Symptoms of Menopause: Caution or Reassurance?Journal of the National Cancer Institute · 2022Article
- New Innovations for the Treatment of Vulvovaginal Atrophy: An Up-to-Date Review.Medicina (Kaunas, Lithuania) · 2022Review
- The evidence behind the use of LASER for genitourinary syndrome of menopause, vulvovaginal atrophy, urinary incontinence and lichen sclerosus: A state-of-the-art review.Acta obstetricia et gynecologica Scandinavica · 2022Review
- Long-Term Follow-Up of Fractional COJournal of clinical medicine · 2022Article
- Effects of local laser treatment on vulvovaginal atrophy among women with breast cancer: a prospective study with long-term follow-up.Breast cancer research and treatment · 2021Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeFractional CO2 laser therapy is an emerging treatment for genitourinary syndrome of menopause (GSM). The objective of this study was to determine the feasibility and preliminary efficacy of fractional CO2 laser therapy in breast cancer survivors.
methodsThis was a single arm feasibility study of breast cancer survivors with dyspareunia and/or vaginal dryness. Participants received three treatments of fractional CO2 laser therapy at 30-day intervals and returned for a 1-month follow-up. Feasibility was defined as treatment completion without serious adverse events (SAE) in 80% of patients. We collected data on the Vaginal Assessment Scale (VAS), the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), the Urinary Distress Index (UDI), and SAE.
resultsA total of 64 patients participated in the study. The majority of women had Estrogen receptor/Progesterone receptor (ER/PR) positive/Her2neu negative (n = 37; 63%), stage I (n = 32, 54%) or II (n = 19, 32%) breast cancer. Most were receiving endocrine therapy (n = 54, 92%), most commonly aromatase inhibitors (AI; n = 40, 68%). Fifty-nine (88.1%) of those enrolled completed all treatments according to protocol with no reported SAE. No patient withdrew due to SAE. The scores of the VAS (mean Δ - 0.99; 95% CI [- 1.19, - 0.79], p < 0.001)), FSFI (mean Δ 9.67; 95% CI [7.27, 12.1], p < 0.001), and UDI (mean Δ - 8.85; 95% CI [- 12.75, - 4.75], p < 0.001)) improved from baseline to follow-up.
conclusionFractional CO2 laser treatment for breast cancer survivors is feasible and appears to reduce GSM symptoms across treatment and follow-up.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.