Mouth sores from cancer therapy can be brutal, making it hard to eat, talk, or even think. A new review of 329 cancer patients getting chemotherapy or radiation found that photobiomodulation therapy, a type of light treatment, is highly effective at managing these sores. The analysis showed it significantly reduces how often they happen and how severe they get. This matters for patients who often stop treatment because of the pain. The review also suggests this therapy can improve quality of life and help people stick with their cancer treatment. The evidence comes from pooling data from several randomized clinical trials. However, the light therapy protocols varied between studies, using different wavelengths and application times. The findings show an association, not direct proof that the therapy causes the improvement. Still, the overall evidence is considered strong and from recent trials with low risk of bias.
Meta-analysis finds photobiomodulation therapy effective for oral mucositis in cancer patientsPhotobiomodulation therapy reduces oral mucositis in cancer patients
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Key Takeaway
Consider photobiomodulation therapy for oral mucositis management in cancer patients, based on meta-analysis evidence.
This is a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized clinical trials evaluating photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for oral mucositis in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy. The analysis synthesized data from 329 patients.
The primary finding was that PBMT was highly effective for managing oral mucositis, with a pooled relative risk of 0.50 (95% CI 0.35-0.73), indicating a reduction. The authors also synthesized evidence on secondary outcomes, including incidence, severity, quality of life, treatment adherence, and healthcare costs.
Key limitations noted by the authors include moderate heterogeneity (I²=40%) and variability in PBMT protocols, with wavelengths ranging from 635-980 nm and application times from 3-20 seconds. The certainty of evidence was based on recent randomized trials with low risk of bias and publication bias.
Practice relevance is that PBMT may be a useful adjunct for managing oral mucositis during cancer therapy, potentially improving patient outcomes. However, the findings are associations from pooled data and do not establish direct causation.
What this means for you:
Light therapy can significantly reduce painful mouth sores for cancer patients on treatment. More on Oral Mucositis
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View Original Abstract ↓
PURPOSE: To systematically evaluate and update the evidence about photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) as a therapy for the prevention and/or treatment of oral mucositis (OM) induced by antineoplastic therapies.
METHODS: This systematic review followed the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. A systematic literature search was conducted across PubMed, Web of Science, Scopus, and Embase as the primary databases. Additional searches were performed in the Virtual Health Library (VHL) and LILACS through the BIREME platform, as well as in Redalyc and the Wiley Online Library, covering the period from 2020 to 2026. Only randomized clinical trials published within the last six years investigating PBMT as a preventive or therapeutic intervention for oral mucositis (OM) in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy were included.
RESULTS: Seven studies comprising 329 patients were included. PBMT proved to be highly effective in the management of OM (RR 0.50, 95% CI 0.35-0.73). Moderate heterogeneity was observed across studies (I = 40%). PBMT protocols varied, with laser wavelengths ranging from 635 to 980 nm, most commonly 660 nm for intraoral (IO) application. Application sites included IO and/or extraoral (EO) approaches, with IO application times ranging from 3 to 20 s. OM was consistently assessed using World Health Organization (WHO) criteria across all studies. The included trials demonstrated a low risk of bias and publication bias.
CONCLUSION: Evidence from recent randomized clinical trials confirms that PBMT is highly effective for the management of oral mucositis, reducing its incidence and severity, improving quality of life and treatment adherence, and potentially lowering healthcare costs during cancer therapy.
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