Recommended technology to relieve oral mucositis not yet available for children or young people in England or Wales

What is it about?

A handheld tool called Low-Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) is recommended to help reduce the problem of a common side effect of cancer treatment. The tool delivers a form of light therapy to the mouth, to try to reduce the ulcers and inflammation – known as oral mucositis - which are commonly caused by cancer treatment. The LLLT tool is similar in appearance to Doctor Who’s Sonic Screwdriver, but can’t be used in as many ways!

The guidance for healthcare professionals for using LLLT doesn’t tell us how to best use it. When we take medicines, how well it works is affected by the dose and how often you take it. For LLLT, we don’t yet know the best way to take it - there are many settings you can use, including things like dose and power, and how often LLLT is used.

Oral mucositis can be very upsetting and painful for children and young people (CYP) - one mother told us about her daughter’s experience with oral mucositis: “She struggled to swallow her own saliva – that’s how grim it was.” The girl was “not really with us ‘cos she’d had so much morphine” and required two 10-day-long stays in hospital.

We asked all treatment centres for CYP with cancer in the UK and found that LLLT is not used in England or Wales yet. Sheffield Children’s Hospital will start using LLLT soon thanks to funding from The Children's Hospital Charity.

We must ensure CYP are not left behind as technology and new tools and devices are developed.


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