Use of laser therapy as an adjunct in the treatment of mucositis in cancer patients in the head and neck region

Abstract

The oral health of cancer patients requires differentiated care, due to the characteristics determined by the disease and/or its treatment. The main change in the oral cavity resulting from cancer treatment is Oral Mucositis, which is defined as inflammation of the oral mucosa and can be induced by both chemotherapy and radiotherapy. The use of Low Power Laser applied to the oral mucosa in patients undergoing high doses of Radiotherapy and Chemotherapy helps prevent the incidence of Oral Mucositis, as it increases cellular metabolism. This article is a bibliographical survey, where articles from scientific journals and the National Cancer Institute (INCA) were researched and selected. Clinical protocols and guidelines from the Ministry of Health on dental treatments for cancer patients were also selected. Low-power laser therapy, also known as Photobiomodulation Therapy, is an intervention that uses non-ionizing forms of light, in a non-thermal process, triggering photophysical and photochemical events, on various biological scales. This process results in therapeutic benefits, including relieving pain or inflammation, immunomodulation, stimulating wound healing, and tissue regeneration. It is described that, as a consequence of Photobiomodulation Therapy, cells return to normally performing their functions such as proliferation, differentiation, protein secretion, among others. Considering several studies, it is concluded that, currently, photobiomodulation therapy is considered the best alternative for treatment against oral mucositis, where its capacity for cell regeneration brings a great advantage in relieving pain, causing faster healing, reducing all the symptoms of mucositis combined with a low incidence of side effects.