Acceptability of photobiomodulation for mucositis management in CYP
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An investigation of the acceptability of photobiomodulation for prevention of oral mucositis in children and young people (CYP) undergoing inpatient chemotherapy
IRAS ID
316813
Contact name
Peter Day
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
1 years, 0 months, 31 days
Research summary
Chemotherapy is a common cancer treatment. Up to 80% of children being treated with chemotherapy develop extremely painful ulcers in their mouths. For some children this can stop them from eating and drinking. They may need to stay in hospital to receive food and painkillers. Sometimes, this can delay future planned life-saving cancer treatment.
At the time of chemotherapy, a special red light can be shone into the mouth to reduce the risk of painful ulcers. This treatment is known as photobiomodulation. The National Institute of Health and Care Excellence (NICE) and the Mucositis Study Group of the Multinational Association of Supportive Care in Cancer (MASCC) recommend use of photobiomodulation for prevention and treatment of oral mucositis subsequent to chemotherapy, radiotherapy and haematopoietic stem cell transplant (HSCT). We have recently introduced this treatment at the Leeds Children’s Hospital. When we asked other children’s cancer centres, we found that no other centres in England currently provide this light treatment but two children's hospitals in Scotland have been treating children successfully for several years. Doctors cited an implementation barrier of unknown acceptability.
We plan to explore acceptability by talking to children, their parents and healthcare professionals. We will ask how they feel about light treatment and what they think is important about its delivery.
Focus groups are planned with a diverse range of healthcare professionals involved in delivery of photobiomodulation. Individual semi-structured interviews are planned with children and their parents. The recordings will be transcribed and analysed by one lead qualitative researcher supported by the research team.
We will also review outcomes from the hospital notes of children receiving this treatment, to evaluate if they are receiving the treatment as instructed in our protocol, to evaluate who is delivering it and whether they can tolerate it.
REC name
South Central - Oxford A Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
22/SC/0456
Date of REC Opinion
1 Dec 2022
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion