TY - JOUR
T1 - Effects of photobiomodulation therapy for acute radiation dermatitis in patients with cancer
T2 - A systematic review and meta‑analysis of real-world evidence
AU - Lin, Ying Tong
AU - Mou Tung, Kuang
AU - Chiou, Jeng Fong
AU - Chen, Yen Chao
AU - Hou, Wen Hsuan
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2024 Elsevier B.V.
PY - 2025/1
Y1 - 2025/1
N2 - Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) in patients with cancer. Materials and methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched for articles published between database inception until July 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs examining the effects of PBMT against ARD in patients with cancer were included for analysis. A random-effects model was used to conduct meta-analyses and sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted for cancer types and PBMT goals (prevention or treatment of ARD) with stratification for different grades of ARD. Results: Eight studies (five RCTs and three non-RCTs) were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the PBMT group exhibited significantly lower ARD incidence at grades 2 and 3 (risk difference = − 0.36, 95 % confidence interval = − 0.53 to − 0.19, I2 = 85 %, P = < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses revealed that, compared with the control group, PBMT had a significant effect on both breast cancer and head and neck cancer. In addition, PBMT significantly reduced grades 2 and 3 ARD incidence in the PBMT group for both prevention and treatment subgroups. Conclusion: PBMT may have beneficial effects on the prevention and treatment of higher-grade ARD in patients with breast cancer and head and neck cancer. Nevertheless, the studies included in this meta-analysis exhibited high heterogeneity. Therefore, the results must be interpreted with caution.
AB - Purpose: To examine the effectiveness of photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) for acute radiation dermatitis (ARD) in patients with cancer. Materials and methods: PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, and CINAHL were searched for articles published between database inception until July 2024. Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and non-RCTs examining the effects of PBMT against ARD in patients with cancer were included for analysis. A random-effects model was used to conduct meta-analyses and sensitivity analyses. Subgroup analyses were conducted for cancer types and PBMT goals (prevention or treatment of ARD) with stratification for different grades of ARD. Results: Eight studies (five RCTs and three non-RCTs) were included in this meta-analysis. Compared with the control group, the PBMT group exhibited significantly lower ARD incidence at grades 2 and 3 (risk difference = − 0.36, 95 % confidence interval = − 0.53 to − 0.19, I2 = 85 %, P = < 0.00001). Subgroup analyses revealed that, compared with the control group, PBMT had a significant effect on both breast cancer and head and neck cancer. In addition, PBMT significantly reduced grades 2 and 3 ARD incidence in the PBMT group for both prevention and treatment subgroups. Conclusion: PBMT may have beneficial effects on the prevention and treatment of higher-grade ARD in patients with breast cancer and head and neck cancer. Nevertheless, the studies included in this meta-analysis exhibited high heterogeneity. Therefore, the results must be interpreted with caution.
KW - Acute radiation dermatitis
KW - Cancer
KW - Low-intensity laser
KW - Low-level laser
KW - Photobiomodulation therapy
KW - Radiotherapy
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U2 - 10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110589
DO - 10.1016/j.radonc.2024.110589
M3 - Article
C2 - 39426526
AN - SCOPUS:85206973636
SN - 0167-8140
VL - 202
JO - Radiotherapy and Oncology
JF - Radiotherapy and Oncology
M1 - 110589
ER -
