KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to investigate the feasibility and efficacy of PBM in preventing oral mucositis in pediatric oncology patients undergoing HCT.
- Researchers noticed the feasibility and effectiveness of PBM in preventing and treating oral mucositis.
Oral mucositis is a significant complication in patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) undergoing high-dose chemotherapy before hematopoietic cell transplant (HCT). Photobiomodulation (PBM) has shown promise in preventing oral mucositis progression in adult HCT recipients. However, its feasibility and efficacy in pediatric oncology patients undergoing HCT remain uncertain.
Michele Pritchard and the team aimed to assess the feasibility and efficacy of PBM in this specific population, addressing the need for effective preventive strategies against oral mucositis.
They performed an inclusive analysis involving 40 children and adolescents admitted to the transplant unit for an allogeneic HCT for ALL or AML. They were treated daily at six sites until day +20 or engraftment.
About 1,035 patient encounters were documented, with successful treatment of four or more sites during 979 patient encounters, indicating a feasibility rate of 93.3% (CI [0.926, 0.039]). A meaningful effect size of 20% for PBM was estimated, with 51% of patients treated expected to experience at least one day of Grade 3 mucositis. The actual rate of Grade 3 mucositis among patients receiving PBM was 20% (CI [0.091, 0.356]). Patients treated with PBM experienced fewer hospitalization days (P = .009) and less severe mucositis than the matched control group (P = .03).
The study concluded that PBM is feasible and effective in preventing and treating oral mucositis. Furthermore, the Children’s Oncology Group’s endorsement of its use in patients undergoing allogeneic HCT or receiving head/neck radiation underscores its significance as a supportive care measure.
The study included no funds information.
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/38377968/
Pritchard M, Ogg SW, Bosi J, et al. (2024). “Utilization of Photobiomodulation for the Prevention and Treatment of Oral Mucositis.” J Pediatr Hematol Oncol Nurs. 2024 Mar-Apr;41(2):107-113. doi: 10.1177/27527530231214525. Epub 2024 Feb 20. PMID: 38377968.
