Comparative Evaluation of Low-Level Laser Therapy and ‎Pilocarpine Hydrochloride on Stimulated Salivary Flow in ‎Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing ‎Radiochemotherapy: A randomized clinical trial

Dawoud Agha, Aya; Abdul-Hak, Mahmmoud; Bakkour, Moudar

doi:10.21608/asdj.2025.350396.1767

Comparative Evaluation of Low-Level Laser Therapy and ‎Pilocarpine Hydrochloride on Stimulated Salivary Flow in ‎Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Undergoing ‎Radiochemotherapy: A randomized clinical trial

Document Type : Original articles

Authors

¹ Oral Medicine Department / MSc / Faculty of Dental Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria

² Oral Medicine Department /Professor /, Faculty of Dentistry, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria

³ Oncology Department / Doctor / Faculty of Medicine, Damascus University, Damascus, Syria.

10.21608/asdj.2025.350396.1767

Abstract

Aim: To evaluate the effects of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) and pilocarpine hydrochloride (Salagen) on stimulated salivary flow in patients with head and neck cancer undergoing radiochemotherapy. Furthermore, this study aims to provide the first comparative analysis of the protective effects of these two treatment modalities.
Materials and methods: This clinical study consisted of 16 head and neck cancer patients, 10 females and 6 males, aged between 18 and 62. The patients were randomly assigned to two groups: one received low-level laser therapy (810 nm and 650 nm), and the other was given pilocarpine hydrochloride (5 mg Salagen tablets, three times daily). Stimulated saliva was collected at three points: before radiochemotherapy (R1), immediately after the final session (R2), and three months later (R3). Data were analyzed with SPSS ver26 statistical software.
Results: The study involved 10 females and 6 males, with a mean age of 41.75. Participants in the Salagen group demonstrated a statistically significant increase in stimulated saliva in R3 compared to those in the laser group. Additionally, the results indicated a statistically significant decrease in stimulated saliva in R3 compared to R1 within the laser group.
Conclusion: This study demonstrated that Salagen effectively prevents significant hyposalivation when administered concurrently with radiochemotherapy in head and neck cancer patients. In contrast, the low-level laser therapy (LLLT) protocol employed in this study could not prevent the decline in stimulated salivary flow caused by radiochemotherapy. Furthermore, the findings highlight the superiority of Salagen in mitigating severe hyposalivation associated with radiochemotherapy, compared to the LLLT protocol utilized in this research.

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