IMPACT OF PHOTOBIOMODULATION FOR ORAL MUCOSITIS ON BODY WEIGHT AND BMI OF PATIENTS WITH HEAD AND NECK CANCER

Prospective clinical study, carried out from August 2017 to March 2020, whose population sample included 36 patients with malignant neoplasms in the head and neck region, undergoing exclusive radiotherapy treatment or concomitantly with other therapies. Inclusion criteria: participants with at least eighteen years old, who developed or not OM as a side effect of antineoplastic therapies. Individuals with diabetes mellitus and autoimmune diseases were excluded due to difficulties in the tissue repair process, as were those who did not complete the research protocol. A socioeconomic questionnaire was used to collect individual data about patient’s health lifestyle, treatment modality (radiotherapy with chemotherapy/surgery), location and tumor staging. 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.