Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41880047›Full record

SynthesisSupportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer2026

Effects of photobiomodulation on oral mucositis, oral pain, xerostomia, salivary flow rate, and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Mônica N M Pedroso, Anderson Rech, Natalia Casagrande, Júlia F Pissaia, Julia S Zardo, Vitória L Borges, Stephanie R Bombana, Cindranne Torres Muller, Priscila Casara, Janaína Brollo and 3 more

Abstract readSystematic ReviewMeta-Analysis
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Supportive care in cancer : official journal of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

13 authors.

Mônica N M PedrosoPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Anderson RechPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Natalia CasagrandePrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Júlia F PissaiaGrupo de Pesquisa Em Exercício Para Populações Clínicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Julia S ZardoGrupo de Pesquisa Em Exercício Para Populações Clínicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Vitória L BorgesGrupo de Pesquisa Em Exercício Para Populações Clínicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Stephanie R BombanaGrupo de Pesquisa Em Exercício Para Populações Clínicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Cindranne Torres MullerGrupo de Pesquisa Em Exercício Para Populações Clínicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Priscila CasaraGrupo de Pesquisa Em Exercício Para Populações Clínicas (GPCLIN), Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Janaína BrolloCurso de Medicina, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Claudio P JúniorCurso de Medicina, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Carin W GallonCurso de Medicina, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Pedro LopezPrograma de Pós-Graduação em Ciências da Saúde, Universidade de Caxias do Sul, Caxias do Sul, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil. pedro.lopezdacruz@resphealth.uwa.edu.au.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeTo systematically review and analyze the effects of photobiomodulation on oral mucositis, xerostomia, salivary flow rates, oral pain, and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer.

methodsA systematic search of six databases was conducted up to April 2025. Eligible randomized controlled trials (RCTs) examined the effects of photobiomodulation on the specified outcomes in patients with head and neck cancer. Pooled estimates (risk ratio [RR] and standardized mean difference [SMD]) were calculated using a three-level mixed-effects meta-analysis.

resultsThirty-three articles describing 30 RCTs (n = 1748) were included. Photobiomodulation significantly reduced the risk of severe oral mucositis (RR 0.46, 95% CI: 0.29-0.71, P < 0.001) and severe oral pain (RR 0.35, 95% CI: 0.23-0.53, P < 0.001) compared with controls. Significant improvements were also observed for salivary flow rate (SMD 0.75, 95% CI: 0.03-1.46, P = 0.044). No significant effects were observed on xerostomia (SMD -0.07, 95% CI: -0.47-0.33, P = 0.646) and quality of life (SMD 1.06, 95% CI: -0.03-2.14, P = 0.060). The benefits were consistent across different photobiomodulation protocols for oral mucositis and quality of life.

conclusionsPhotobiomodulation appears to be a promising supportive care intervention, reducing the risk of severe mucositis and oral pain, while potentially improving salivary flow rates and preserving quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. However, the certainty of the evidence ranged from very low to low and most included studies presented a high risk of bias; therefore, these findings should be interpreted with caution.

Indexed as

Head and Neck NeoplasmsLow-Level Light TherapyStomatitisHumansQuality of LifeRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSalivationXerostomiaHead and neck neoplasmsLow-level light therapyMouth drynessQuality of life

Identifiers

PMID41880047
PMCPMC13018037

What OpenQuestion holds

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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.