Gallium-Arsenide Laser Efficacy on Inflammatory Cytokines in Treating Chemotherapy-Induced Oral Mucositis, HEBA M. ABD-ELSHAFI, AWATIF M. LABIB, SOHEIR Sh. REZK-ALLAH, REEM A. FARID and MOHAMED A. HASSAN
Abstract
Background: Oral mucositis (ОМ) is unavoidable toxicity of the oral cavity that accompanies chemotherapy treatment. Chemotherapy induced oral Mucositis (СОМ) is a frequent and one of the most significant debilitating and problematic side effects achieved in patients which receives mucotoxic drugs and may have a significant negative impact on the quality of life (QOL) and treatment outcome. Studies showed that low-level laser therapy (LLLT) has a healing effect.
Aim: To investigate the efficacy of Gallium-Arsenide (GA-AS) laser in treating СОМ and its impact on inflammatory cytokines levels in cancer patients receiving chemotherapy due to various malignancies.
Methods: 80 patients with СОМ received LLLT б days/ week. OM was graded according to the World Health Organization (WHO) grading scale. The serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-Alpha (TNF-a) and interleukin-б (IL-б) were measured before, during and after therapy.
Results: After LLLT, there was a significant decrease in the mean of mucositis grade from 2.3530.695 before LLLT therapy to 1.1330.333 after (p< 0.001). There was a significant decrease in the level of TNF-alpha after LLLT among breast cancer patients (p=0.0045), but not in head and neck and lymphoma patients. There was a significant decrease in IL-б level after treatment among head and neck and breast cancer patients (p=О.0307 and 0.019, respectively).
Conclusion: The results suggest that the use of GA-AS LLLT in treating СОМ in patients with various malignancies is well tolerated and results in improvement of mucositis, mechanism of action does not seem to be completely linked to the change of pro or anti-inflammatory cytokines.
Key Words: Low level laser therapy — Chemotherapy-induced oral mucositis — Cancer.