Laserterapy for Treatment of Oral Mucositis in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer

Abstract

Abstract We investigate patients undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer (HNC) who had mucositis. The most were male, literate, white, smokers and and alcoholics. Mucositis is associated with age over 65 years and alcohol (age:OR:0.52;CI:0.37 0.74;p = 0.000/Alcohol:OR:1.90;CI:1.25–2.87;p = 0.002). There is significance for oropharyngeal site (OR:1.58;CI:1.02–2.43;p = 0.039), advanced clinical stage (OR:2.39;CI:1.18–4.85;p = 0.016) and chemotherapy (OR:0.61;CI: 0.41–0.91;p = 0.016) with mucositis. Grade 1 mucositis was present in 55.2% of patients, followed by 23.6% with grade 2 and 21.1% with grade 3. A total of 57.09% of patients with mucositis were submitted to lasertherapy and the mean time between the beginning of the treatment and the complaint of mucositis was six months; the mean time between the complaint of mucositis and the beginning of lasertherapy was 33 days. Normality test showed that there is a difference in the groups: mucositis Initial degree (K2 = 55.17;<0.000 1), number of lasertherapy (K2 = 112.2; p < 0.0001) and current degree (K2 = 45.50; p < 0.0001). There was significance of the initial and current degrees of mucositis (R = 0.41;p < 0.0001). Pearson's correlation was negative between mucositis current degree and the number of lasertherapy (R= -0.1423;p = 0.072). Patients with mucositis are male, with 65 years, white, literat, smokers and alcoholics. Oropharyngeal cancer and advanced stage are more likely to develop mucositis in the casuistic evaluated. Lasertherapy is effective in treatment of mucositis and can contribute to better life quality for patients with mucositis after treatment for HNC.