TY - JOUR T1 - Radiotherapy mucositis in head and neck cancer: prevention by low-energy surface laser JF - BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care JO - BMJ Support Palliat Care DO - 10.1136/bmjspcare-2019-001851 SP - bmjspcare-2019-001851 AU - Vincent Bourbonne AU - Joelle Otz AU - René-Jean Bensadoun AU - Gurvan Dissaux AU - Francois Lucia AU - Jean-Christophe Leclere AU - Olivier Pradier AU - Ulrike Schick Y1 - 2019/09/16 UR - http://spcare.bmj.com/content/early/2019/09/16/bmjspcare-2019-001851.abstract N2 - Background Modern radiotherapy (RT) planning techniques and the use of oral supportive care have reduced the occurrence of acute radiation-induced toxicities. Oral mucositis remains a major concern in patients with head and neck cancer as it can compromise treatment compliance and outcome.Objective To report the rate of mucositis with the preventive use of surface low-level laser therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.Methods Forty patients treated with definitive (n=27) or adjuvant (n=13) RT using volumetric arc therapy between August 2014 and October 2015 for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck were included. All patients were treated using photobiomodulation using surface low-level laser therapy (Heltschl kind FL 3500, 350 mW), 3 times a week during the whole treatment course. The grade of mucositis was obtained from week 1 to week 7 and at 1 month.Results The median RT dose was 70 Gy (64–70). Concomitant chemotherapy was administered in 29 patients. According to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v. 3, grade 0, 1, 2 and 3 mucositis was observed in 9 (22.5%), 9 (22.5%), 16 (40%) and 6 (15%) patients at week 7, and 32 (80%), 2 (5%), 3 (7.5%) and 3 (7.5%) patients at 1 month following treatment. No grade 4 occurred. Median average and maximum dose to the oral mucosa was 42 Gy (12.9–66.3) and 66.6 Gy (39–76), respectively.Conclusion Despite a substantial dose to the oral mucosa, the rate of acute radiation-induced mucositis of grade ≥3 remains low in patients receiving extraoral low-energy laser during RT. ER -