Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42319507›Full record

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

Photobiomodulation for oral mucositis in cancer care: prevention, clinical management, and evidence from randomized controlled trials.

Susell Parra-Rojas, Juliana Cassol-Spanemberg, Alejandra Navarro Pérez, Gabriela Leite Baggio, Rocío Trinidad Velázquez-Cayón

Abstract readSystematic Review
PubMed 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

5 authors.

Susell Parra-RojasDepartment of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa Canarias University, Gran Canaria, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5198-8771
Juliana Cassol-Spanemberg *Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa Canarias University, Gran Canaria, Spain. jcassol@ufpcanarias.es.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9381-0058
Alejandra Navarro PérezDepartment of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa Canarias University, Gran Canaria, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0009-3132-4992
Gabriela Leite BaggioOral Medicine and Phototherapy Research Group (OMEP), Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa Canarias University, Gran Canaria, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9269-6484
Rocío Trinidad Velázquez-Cayón *Department of Dentistry, Faculty of Health Sciences, Fernando Pessoa Canarias University, Gran Canaria, Spain.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0004-7412-0387

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeThis systematic review aimed to evaluate the efficacy of photobiomodulation (PBM) for the prevention and clinical management of oral mucositis (OM) in adult cancer patients, with particular emphasis on protocol characteristics potentially associated with favorable clinical outcomes.

methodsA systematic search of PubMed, Web of Science, and Scopus was conducted up to March 31, 2026, in accordance with PRISMA guidelines. Randomized controlled trials in adult cancer patients comparing PBM with sham interventions were included. Outcomes of interest included OM incidence, severity, pain, and related clinical outcomes. The review protocol was prospectively registered in PROSPERO.

resultsFifteen randomized controlled trials involving 868 adult patients were included. Most studies reported favorable effects of PBM, including reductions in severe OM incidence, pain intensity, analgesic requirements, and nutritional support needs compared with controls. Preventive intraoral PBM protocols were generally associated with more favorable outcomes, although variability in treatment parameters, delivery methods, and outcome reporting limited comparability. Most included studies demonstrated acceptable methodological quality.

conclusionsPBM appears to be a promising supportive care intervention for reducing the burden of OM in adult cancer patients, particularly in preventive settings. However, variability across protocols precludes definitive conclusions regarding optimal treatment parameters. Further high-quality randomized trials with standardized reporting are needed to refine protocol recommendations and expand evidence in therapeutic settings.

Indexed as

Low-Level Light TherapyNeoplasmsStomatitisAdultHumansRandomized Controlled Trials as TopicSeverity of Illness IndexCancer therapyOral mucositisPhotobiomodulationRandomized controlled trialsSupportive care

Identifiers

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.