Application of red light phototherapy in the treatment of radioactive dermatitis in patients with head and neck cancer

BACKGROUND: To observe the effect of red light phototherapy (RLPT) on radioactive dermatitis (RD) caused by radiotherapy in patients with head and neck cancer (HNC). METHODS: Sixty patients with HNC admitted to our hospital were randomly divided into experimental group and control group, 30 patients in each group. The control group received routine daily care during radiotherapy treatment. In the experimental group, in addition to routine daily care during radiotherapy treatment, photon therapy apparatus RLPT was added, 10 min/time, 2 times/day, and lasted until the end of radiotherapy. The pain and conditions of the patients’ skin were assessed daily, and the skin pain and dermatitis grades of the two groups were compared. RESULTS: In terms of the reaction degree of RD, experimental group was mainly grade 0–2, and control group was mainly grade 2–3, with a significant difference (P < 0.05). In terms of skin pain, according to the pain records at week 2, 3, and 4, the pain degree increased with time. However, the score of wound pain in experimental group was significantly lower than that in control group, and there was a significant difference between the two groups (P < 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The application of RLPT in the treatment of RD can help accelerate wound healing and significantly shorten healing time. It can not only reduce wounds pain of patients, promote inflammation and ulcer healing, but also ensure the smooth progress of patients’ radiotherapy and improve their quality of lives, which is worth popularization and application in the clinical practice.