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The use of low-energy laser (LEL) for the prevention of chemotherapy- and/or radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in cancer patients: results from two prospective studies

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Abstract

Background

Low-energy laser (LEL) treatment has been suggested as an effective and safe method to prevent and/or treat oral mucositis induced by chemotherapy and/or radiotherapy; however, it has not gained wide acceptance so far.

Materials and methods

We conducted two clinical trials testing the LEL technique: firstly, as a secondary prevention in patients with various solid tumors treated with chemotherapy who all developed severe mucositis after a previous identical chemotherapy and, secondly, as therapeutic intervention (compared to sham illumination in a randomized way) in patients with hematological tumors receiving intensive chemotherapy and having developed low-grade oral mucositis.

Results

We entered 26 eligible patients in the first study and 36 were randomized in the second study. The success rate was 81% (95%CI = 61–93%) when LEL was given as a preventive treatment. In the second study, in patients with existing lesions, the therapeutic success rate was 83% (95%CI = 59–96%), which was significantly different from the success rate reached in the sham-treated patients (11%; 95%CI = 1–35%); the time to development of grade 3 mucositis was also significantly shorter in the sham-treated patients (p < 0.001).

Conclusion

Our results strongly support the already available literature, suggesting that LEL is an effective and safe approach to prevent or treat oral mucositis resulting from cancer chemotherapy.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine, Institut Jules Bordet, Centre des Tumeurs de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles, Rue Héger-Bordet, 1, Brussels, 1000, Belgium

    M. T. Genot-Klastersky, J. Klastersky, F. Awada, A. Awada, P. Crombez, M. D. Martinez, M. F. Jaivenois & N. Meuleman

  2. Data Centre, Institut Jules Bordet, Centre des Tumeurs de l’Université Libre de Bruxelles, Rue Héger-Bordet, 1, Brussels, 1000, Belgium

    M. Delmelle, G. Vogt & M. Paesmans

Authors
  1. M. T. Genot-Klastersky
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  2. J. Klastersky
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  3. F. Awada
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  4. A. Awada
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  5. P. Crombez
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  6. M. D. Martinez
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  7. M. F. Jaivenois
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  8. M. Delmelle
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  9. G. Vogt
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  10. N. Meuleman
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  11. M. Paesmans
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to M. Paesmans.

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Genot-Klastersky, M.T., Klastersky, J., Awada, F. et al. The use of low-energy laser (LEL) for the prevention of chemotherapy- and/or radiotherapy-induced oral mucositis in cancer patients: results from two prospective studies. Support Care Cancer 16, 1381–1387 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0439-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-008-0439-8

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