Background.
Oral mucositis is a common complication of some
malignancies treatment, causing therapeutic modifications due to patient's debilitation, which often interferes with the prognosis of the disease. Many attempts have been made to find an optimal treatment or preventive method to minimize the severity of
oral mucositis. Several studies have shown good results with the use of low-energy
laser, with the aim of accelerating the process of wound healing and promoting
pain relief. Methods. Patients (n=18) who developed
oral mucositis during
chemotherapy and/or
radiotherapy were submitted to low-energy
laser applications until cessation of symptoms.
Mucositis severity was scored by an
oral mucositis scale based on clinical features and by an oral toxicity scale from the National Cancer Institute based on the ability to swallow;
pain severity was scored by subjects on a visual analogue scale before and after the applications. Results. Immediate
pain relief was achieved in 66.6% of the patients after the first application. Based on the functional scale,
mucositis grade III (not capable to eat solids) was reduced in 42.85% of the cases. According to the scale based on the clinical features,
mucositis grade IV (ulcerative lesions) was reduced in 75% of the patients that presented this grade of
mucositis at the beginning of
laser therapy. Conclusions. Low-energy
laser was well-tolerated and showed beneficial effects on the management of
oral mucositis, improving the quality of life during the oncologic treatment.