Project R-8356

Photobiomodulation therapy for the prevention and management of radiodermatitis in cancer patients (Research)

Up to 90% of the radiotherapy (RT) patients, more specifically breast and head and neck cancer patients, will develop a skin reaction at the treated area, also known as radiodermatitis (RD). RD can be graded based on the criteria of the Radiation Therapy Oncology (RTOG) from red rashes and dry desquamation (grade 1), patchy/confluent moist desquamation (grade 2/3), to ulceration (grade 4). The risk of developing RD depends on different therapy- and patient-related factors (e.g. irradiation dose, volume of treated area, BMI, sensitivity of skin, genetic susceptibility, smoking and nutritional status, etc.). RD may be distressing and/or painful for the patient, which may affect their general quality of life. Furthermore, when the skin reactions evolve towards more severe forms (grade 2 or higher), it might be necessary to change the treatment protocol or even interrupt RT, hereby compromising treatment outcome. Therefore, preventing and managing RD is an important part of the patient care during RT. Currently, a wide variety of strategies are available to manage RD. However, the evidence supporting the effectiveness of these treatment methods is weak and there is no comprehensive, evidence-based consensus for the treatment of RD. Photobiomodulation therapy (PBMT) has gained its place in general medicine for already more than 40 years. It is a non-invasive treatment option used to stimulate wound healing and reduce inflammation, oedema, and pain. PBMT is applied in a variety of medical domains ranging from dermatology, physiotherapy, neurology to dentistry. It uses non-ionizing light sources such as laser diodes (LDs) and light-emitting diodes (LEDs) in the visible and nearinfrared (NIR) spectrum, used at low-level energy. In the late 1990s, Schindl et al. were the first to study the clinical effect of LD-PBMT on RD in patients. The study showed that LD-PBMT was effective in the induction of wound healing in RT-induced skin ulcers in a small group of post-mastectomy breast cancer patients. In a recent pilot study from our research group, PBMT prevented the aggravation of RD and provided symptomatic relief in breast cancer patients undergoing RT. With this project, we will investigate if PBMT can also be used to prevent RD in patients with breast cancer and head and neck cancer. Furthermore, we will validate our published results of the clinical trial with breast cancer patients at multicentre level.

01 October 2017 - 30 September 2021