Influence of different photobiomodulation protocols on the prevention of chemotherapy induced dysgeusia in breast cancer patients treated with Doxorubicin Cyclophosphamide a phase III randomized triple blinded non inferiority clinical trial summary

This PACULit episode reviews a Phase III, triple-blinded, placebo-controlled randomized trial evaluating photobiomodulation (PBM) to prevent chemotherapy-induced dysgeusia in breast cancer patients receiving doxorubicin-cyclophosphamide (AC). Three arms compare combined red plus infrared PBM versus red-only with infrared placebo and infrared-only with red placebo, aiming to isolate the additive effect of the combined wavelengths. Primary outcome is objective taste function; secondary outcomes include subjective taste measures, quality of life (OHIP-14), ECOG performance status, BMI, salivary flow, and safety. Findings indicate that the combined red+infrared PBM better preserves objective taste, maintains salivary flow, and improves ECOG status and weight compared with single-wavelength PBM, while infrared-alone is associated with worse subjective outcomes. The intervention was safe with no excess adverse events, supporting PBM as a non-pharmacologic supportive care option to mitigate taste alterations during AC chemotherapy. Future multicenter studies and parameter optimization are warranted to extend these findings to other regimens and cancer populations.