Oncology
META ANALYSIS
● Meta-analysis
Can light therapy ease the brutal mouth sores and pain of head and neck cancer treatment? A review of 30 studies suggests it can.
Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer
Published March 30, 2026
Pedroso Mônica N M, Rech Anderson, Casagrande Natalia, Pissaia Júlia F, Zardo Julia S, Borges Vitóri…
For people undergoing treatment for head and neck cancer, severe mouth sores and pain can be debilitating, making it hard to eat, drink, and talk. A major review of 30 clinical trials, involving over 1,700 patients, looked at whether a non-invasive light therapy could help. This therapy, called photobiomodulation, uses specific wavelengths of light to stimulate healing.
The analysis found that compared to standard care, the light therapy significantly reduced the risk of developing severe oral mucositis (the painful mouth sores) and also significantly reduced the risk of experiencing severe oral pain. It also showed a significant improvement in salivary flow rate, which can help with dry mouth. However, the therapy did not show a significant effect on patients' reported feelings of dry mouth (xerostomia) or on their overall quality of life scores.
The researchers conclude that photobiomodulation appears promising for reducing these specific, painful side effects. However, they strongly caution that the certainty of this evidence is currently low, and many of the studies had flaws, so more high-quality research is needed before firm recommendations can be made.
View Original Abstract ↓
PURPOSE: To systematically review and analyze the effects of photobiomodulation on oral mucositis, xerostomia, salivary flow rates, oral pain, and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer.
METHODS: A systematic search of six databases was conducted up to April 2025. Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined the effects of photobiomodulation on the specified outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer. Pooled estimates (risk ratio [RR] and standardized mean difference [SMD]) were calculated using a three-level mixed-effects meta-analysis.
RESULTS: Thirty-three articles describing 30 RCTs (n = 1748) were included. Photobiomodulation significantly reduced the risk of severe oral mucositis (RR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29-0.71, P < 0.001) and severe oral pain (RR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.23-0.53, P < 0.001) compared with controls. Significant improvements were also observed for salivary flow rate (SMD 0.75, 95% CI: 0.03-1.46, P = 0.044). No significant effects were observed on xerostomia (SMD -0.07, 95% CI: -0.47-0.33, P = 0.646) and quality of life (SMD 1.06, 95% CI: -0.03-2.14, P = 0.060). The benefits were consistent across different photobiomodulation protocols for oral mucositis and quality of life.
CONCLUSIONS: Photobiomodulation appears to be a promising supportive care intervention, reducing the risk of severe mucositis and oral pain, while potentially improving salivary flow rates and preserving quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. However, the certainty of the evidence ranged from very low to low and most included studies presented a high risk of bias; therefore, these findings should be interpreted with caution.