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Effect of low level laser therapy in the reduction of oral complications in patients with cancer of the head and neck submitted to radiotherapy
Author(s) -
OtonLeite Angélica Ferreira,
Elias Larissa Santana Arantes,
Morais Marília Oliveira,
Pinezi Juliana Castro Dourado,
Leles Claudio Rodrigues,
Silva Maria Alves Garcia Santos,
Mendonça Elismauro Francisco
Publication year - 2012
Publication title -
special care in dentistry
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.328
H-Index - 41
eISSN - 1754-4505
pISSN - 0275-1879
DOI - 10.1111/j.1754-4505.2012.00303.x
Subject(s) - medicine , mucositis , head and neck cancer , radiation therapy , low level laser therapy , cancer , laser therapy , osteoradionecrosis , surgery , laser , physics , optics
The aim of this study was to assess the effect of low level laser therapy on reducing the occurrence and severity of oral complications in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiotherapy. Sixty head and neck cancer outpatients from a cancer hospital receiving radiotherapy were selected and randomly assigned into two groups. The laser group was irradiated with an InGaAlP laser and the control received sham laser. The assessment of complications (oral mucositis, pain) was carried out one week after starting radiotherapy, and at the fifteenth and thirtieth sessions of radiotherapy. All patients from both groups showed some degree of oral mucositis. Better outcomes were observed in the laser group when compared with the control in the follow‐up sessions, indicating lower degrees of oral mucositis, pain and higher salivary flow (p < .05). These findings support the use of laser therapy as an adjuvant treatment for the control of oral complications.