Avaliação de um protocolo de fotobiomodulação com laser sobre a prevenção da mucosite em pacientes com câncer de cabeça e pescoço: ensaio clínico randomizado

Abstract

Oral mucositis (OM) is an inflammatory complication resulting from antineoplastic treatment that affects almost all patients undergoing radiotherapy (RT) in the head and neck region, with a negative impact on quality of life and, in more serious cases, may result in the interruption of cancer treatment. Low-intensity laser photobiomodulation (PBM) is recommended as a preventive therapy for OM. The aim of this study was to compare the efficacy of two and three weekly sessions of low-intensity laser PBM in preventing the development of grade 3-4 OM in patients with oral cavity cancer (lips, oral cavity and pharynx) undergoing radiotherapy and chemotherapy. The main outcome was severe OM assessed according to the World Health Organization scale. The secondary outcomes assessed were pain, using the visual analog scale, and quality of life (QoL) using the Oral Mucositis Quality of Life instrument. Eleven participants were included and randomized into two groups: test - two weekly PBM sessions at 72 and 96 hour intervals and control - three weekly PBM sessions at 48 hour intervals. Only 1 participant developed severe OM. Due to the low power of the sample obtained, it was not possible to detect differences between the protocols of two and three weekly irradiations of preventive PBM for severe OM secondary to cancer therapy, in the intensity of pain due to OM and impact on quality of life in patients with oral cavity cancer undergoing RT-CT in a reference oncology center of the public network of the state of Amazonas.