Light-Emitting Diode Therapy in Preventing Mucositis in Children Receiving Chemotherapy With or Without Radiation Therapy Before Bone Marrow Transplantation

OBJECTIVES: * Compare the incidence and severity of oral mucositis in children undergoing NASA-developed light-emitting diode (LED) therapy during a pre-transplantation myeloablative conditioning regimen (chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy) and continuing through the post-bone marrow transplantation (BMT) phase versus LED therapy during the post-BMT phase only. OUTLINE: This is a randomized, double-blind, multicenter study. Patients are stratified according to participating center and cheek being treated (right vs left). Patients are randomized to 1 of 2 schedules of light-emitting diode (LED) therapy. * Arm I: Patients undergo LED therapy for 71 seconds once daily beginning on day 1 of the myeloablative conditioning regimen comprising chemotherapy with or without radiotherapy and continuing for 14 days after bone marrow transplantation (BMT). * Arm II: Patients undergo LED therapy as in arm I beginning on the day of BMT (day 0) and continuing for 14 days after BMT. Photographs are taken of the right and left buccal mucosa at baseline and then every 3 days beginning on day 1 of LED therapy. Pain and xerostomia are assessed using the Wong-Baker "smiley-face" pain scale at baseline and then periodically for 14 days after BMT. Patients are followed monthly for 2 years. PROJECTED ACCRUAL: A total of 80 patients (40 per arm) will be accrued for this study within 2 years.