Low-level Laser Therapy to Prevent Oral Mucositis in Head and Neck Patients

Assuming oral mucositis grade 3 for placebo 0.4 (P0); laser group 0.15 (P1) ; β=0.2; α=0.05, sample size was 94 pts. From Jun 2007 to Dec 2010, 47 laser group and 47 placebo patients bearer of head and neck squamous cell carcinomas of nasopharynx, oropharynx and hypopharynx entered a prospective, randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled, phase III trial. chemoradiotherapy consisted of conventional radiotherapy 70.2 Gray (Gy) (1.8Gy/d, 5 times/wk) + concurrent cisplatin 100 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. The primary end point was the incidence of grade 3-4 oral mucositis. The Low-level laser therapy used daily, was a diode indium phosphide, gallium and aluminum (InGaAlP), 660nm-100 milliwatts (mW)-4 Joules (J)/cm²(DMC, São Carlos, São Paulo, Brazil). Oral mucositis evaluation was done by WHO and Oral Mucositis Assessment Scale (OMAS) scale.