title: Severity of oral mucositis in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation and an oral laser phototherapy protocol: a survey of 30 patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Oral mucositis (OM) is one of the worst cytotoxic effects of chemotherapy and radiotherapy in patients undergoing hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT), and it causes severe morbidity. Laser phototherapy has been considered as an alternative therapy for prevention and treatment of OM. The aim of this study was to describe the incidence and severity of OM in HCT patients subjected to laser phototherapy, and to discuss its effect on the oral mucosa.
  
  
  METHODS
  Information concerning patient age and gender, type of basic disease, conditioning regimen, type of transplant, absence or presence of pain related to the oral cavity, OM grade, and adverse reactions or unusual events were collected from 30 patients undergoing HCT (allogeneic or autologous). These patients were given oral laser phototherapy with a InGaAIP laser (660 nm and 40 mW) daily. The data were tabulated and their frequency expressed as percentages.
  
  
  RESULTS
  In the analysis of those with OM, it was observed that 33.4% exhibited grade I, 40% grade II, 23.3% grade III, and 3.3% grade IV disease. On the most critical post-HCT days (D+5 and D+8), it was observed that 63.3% of patients had grade I and 33.3% had grade II disease; no patients had grade III or IV disease in this period. This severity of OM was similar to that seen in other studies of laser phototherapy and OM.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The low grades of OM observed in this survey show the beneficial effects of laser phototherapy, but randomized clinical trials are necessary to confirm these findings.
authors.affiliation: Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein, Unit of Bone Marrow Transplantation, Sao Paulo, Brazil. fpeduard@usp.br
authors.forename: Fernanda de Paula
authors.initials: FP
authors.lastname: Eduardo
authors.forename: Leticia
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bezinelli
authors.forename: Ana Claudia
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Luiz
authors.forename: Luciana
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Correa
authors.forename: Cristina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Vogel
authors.forename: Carlos de Paula
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Eduardo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D018380:Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D028022:Low-Level Light Therapy; D008223:Lymphoma / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000628:therapy; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013280:Stomatitis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology / Q000517:prevention & control* / Q000628:therapy*; D019172:Transplantation Conditioning; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents