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No Painkillers, No Pain

Preventing one of the worst side effects of cancer treatment, without drugs.

There is now a dramatically improved line of defense against oral mucositis, a common and often debilitating side effect of cancer treatment.

It’s light.

People undergoing radiation and other forms of cancer treatment are at high risk of developing oral mucositis, or extremely painful ulcers in the mouth. According to new worldwide guidelines co-authored by a University at Buffalo researcher, a form of low-dose light treatment—called photobiomodulation therapy—can now be considered a go-to remedy for many of those patients. This therapy can effectively prevent one of the worst aspects of treating cancer, not only improving quality of life during treatment but also potentially improving outcomes by encouraging completion of treatment regimens.

An all-too-common problem

The mouth sores associated with oral mucositis can make talking and eating difficult, derail treatment, and even result in hospitalization and a feeding tube. And the condition is prevalent, affecting close to 40% of patients on chemotherapy, nearly 70% of those getting stem cell transplants and almost 80% of those receiving radiation therapy.

Opioid painkillers are frequently prescribed to counter the pain, but those come with their own problematic side effects, including the potential for addiction.

A safer solution

Light therapies have existed for decades. At a high power, often in the form of a laser, light is used to cut or destroy tissue. But at a low level, it has the ability to relieve pain and promote healing.

“I have increasingly appreciated the role of light as a fundamental element for health,” says Praveen Arany, assistant professor of oral biology and biomedical engineering at UB and president of the World Association for photobiomoduLation Therapy (WALT). Arany’s research focuses on the molecular mechanisms of low-dose light therapy, as well as making it more affordable and effective. He is currently testing a device that would allow people to self-administer the therapy at home.

Arany is among 16 global experts who issued the new guidelines. Among other findings, they identified five new protocols, recommending light therapy for stem cell transplant patients and head and neck cancer patients receiving radiation therapy. No major short-term side effects were reported.

“This is a major milestone for the field,” Arany says. “We are confident these guidelines will provide a clear path for several exciting clinical applications, ranging from Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease to depression, age-related macular degeneration, arthritis, hair loss, wound healing and more.”

http://www.buffalo.edu/how/articles.host.html/content/shared/www/eub/here-is-how/Oral-Light-Therapy.detail.html?utm_source=Flipboard&utm_medium=BDM-US-PromotedContent-OralLightTherapy&utm_campaign=FM-Reputation-Fall19&utm_content=OralLightTherapy