Impact of Photobiomodulation for Oral Mucositis on Body Weight and Bmi of Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the impact of photobiomodulation for oral mucositis on body weight and Body Mass Index (BMI) of patients with head and neck cancer. Methods Patients were divided into two distinct groups: Photobiomodulation - PBM (n = 17) and SHAM (n = 19). Participants in the PBM group received the low-power aluminum gallium arsenide (AsGaAl) laser device with maximum output power of 86.7 mW, wavelength of 660 nm (red) and laser applications at 33 different points of the oral mucosa, on alternate days. Patients in the SHAM group were found to be using the same procedure but with the device turned off. During the first and twenty-fourth session of radiotherapy, participants from both groups underwent an intraoral examination to assess the presence or absence of mucositis and its respective degree according to WHO scale, and were assessed by measuring weight and height and for BMI calculation. Results All patients presented significant differences on weight and BMI throughout the study. Patients in the PBM group had less weight loss (p<0.01) and reduced BMI loss (p<0.01) when compared to patients in the SHAM group. PBM did not prevent oral mucositis, however, it decreased its severity (p<0.01). Conclusion Photobiomodulation for oral mucositis reduces weight loss and prevented the reduction of BMI in patients who underwent radiochemotherapy treatment for head and neck cancer. Although it did not avoid the appearance of oral mucositis, PBM was able to reduce its degrees, preventing the progress of this condition. Retrospectively registered: https://data.mendeley.com//datasets/4kd7s49wk4/1