Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37115315›Full record

ReviewSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2023

Quality assessment of PBM protocols for oral complications in head and neck cancer patients: part 2.

Margherita Gobbo, Praveen R Arany, Elisabetta Merigo, René-Jean Bensadoun, Alan Roger Santos-Silva, Luiz Alcino Gueiros, Giulia Ottaviani

Abstract readReview
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Review in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
1.3field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

2 citing papers in PubMed, 5 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Photobiomodulation therapy.JADA foundational science · 2025
    Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors at 7 institutions in 4 countries.

Margherita GobboUnit of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Ca' Foncello Hospital, Treviso, Italy.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8015-2239
Praveen R AranyOral Biology, Surgery and Biomedical Engineering, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY, USA.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6116-2340
Elisabetta MerigoFaculty of Dentistry, Côte d'Azur University, Nice, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7437-8511
René-Jean BensadounDepartment of Radiation Oncology, Centre de Haute Energie, Nice, France.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1290-7497
Alan Roger Santos-SilvaOral Diagnosis Department, Piracicaba Dental School, University of Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2040-6617
Luiz Alcino GueirosDepartment of Clinic and Preventive Dentistry, Federal University of Pernambuco, Pernambuco, Brazil.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4979-4318
Giulia OttavianiDepartment of Surgical, Medical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Trieste, Italy. gottaviani@units.it.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3427-0514
Ca' Foncello Hospital · ITCentre de Haute Energie · FRObservatoire de la Côte d’Azur · FRUniversidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) · BRUniversidade Federal de Pernambuco · BRUniversity at Buffalo, State University of New York · USUniversity of Trieste · IT

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo investigate the role of photobiomodulation (PBM) in patients undergoing head and neck cancer (HNC) treatment. We focused on the consequences of the main complications, such as quality of life (QoL), analgesia, functional impairment, and nutritional status, as well as on the impact on survival/ recurrences, radiotherapy (RT) interruption, adherence, cost-effectiveness, safety, feasibility, and tolerability.

methodsAn electronic search in PubMed and Scopus databases was performed. Full texts were carefully assessed, and data were assimilated into a tabular form for discussion and consensus among the expert panel.

resultsA total of 22 papers were included. Overall, a beneficial effect of PBM was evidenced in the amelioration of QoL, nutritional status, the reduction of pain, and functional impairment. Preventive PBM may reduce the incidence and duration of RT interruptions, potentially contributing to improved cancer treatment outcomes. PBM treatments are safe and recommended for routine use, with the caveat of avoiding direct tumor exposures where feasible. However, it does not appear to impact cancer survivorship/recurrences directly. Despite additional clinical efforts involving routine PBM use, the individual and public health benefits will positively impact oncology care.

conclusionsQuality of life, pain and functional impairment, nutritional status, and survival may be effectively improved with PBM. Given its established efficacy also in reducing RT interruptions and its safety, feasibility, and tolerability, PBM should be included in the field of supportive cancer care in HNC patients. Improved understanding of PBM mechanisms and precise dose parameters is enabling the generation of more robust, safe, and reproducible protocols; thus, it is imperative to support further clinical implementation as well as both applied and basic science research in this novel field.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsLow-Level Light TherapyHumansNeoplasm Recurrence, LocalQuality of LifeTreatment OutcomeHead and neck neoplasmsLaser therapyNutritional statusPainPhotobiomodulationQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID37115315
OpenAlexW4367319629

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.