Gadget with bright red LEDs to heal cancer scars, now used to treat debilitating scars and swelling in the mouth caused by radiotherapy

A ‘Lollipop’ gadget that emits red light is being used to treat debilitating scars and swelling in the mouth caused by radiotherapy in cancer treatment.

The device’s light-emitting diodes (LEDs) can repair damaged tissue, calm the body’s response to injury, and reduce inflammation – and patients only need to place the device in their mouth for a few minutes to feel the benefits.

It is believed that the wavelength of light produced, called near-infrared, is absorbed by damaged cells and helps them repair.

The therapy – known as photobiomodulation – is being offered to NHS patients in Nottingham, where experts say it has proven remarkably successful. But there are now hopes it can be rolled out more widely in a bid to improve the lives of cancer survivors in the UK.

Radiation therapy usually involves shooting high-energy x-rays into the body to destroy tumors. The treatment is very effective, but additional damage may occur to healthy surrounding tissue, causing scarring, both on the skin and internally.

The therapy – known as photobiomodulation – is being offered to NHS patients in Nottingham, where experts say it has proven remarkably successful. But there are now hopes it could be rolled out more widely in a bid to improve the lives of cancer survivors in the UK (Stock Photo)

This is also called fibrosis and affects one in ten patients undergoing radiotherapy. The problem can occur months or even years after the initial treatment. It can cause discomfort and lead to difficulty moving the affected areas.

In the case of head and neck cancer, patients may be unable to fully turn their heads or, in worst cases, may be unable to chew or speak properly.

The LED treatment has already been approved by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) for the treatment of oral mucositis – a common side effect of radiotherapy or chemotherapy that causes the mouth to become sore and inflamed. It is also widely used to treat lymphedema – when body parts swell due to fluid retention.

But experts at the Macmillan Late Effects Clinic at Nottingham City Hospital, which supports patients experiencing serious problems after cancer treatment, are the first in Britain to use it to treat fibrosis.

As of 2022, the clinic is treating approximately 120 patients with head and neck or breast cancer for radiation-induced fibrosis and lymphedema using photobiomodulation therapy. If the scars are on the skin, another attachment, in the form of a shower head, can be used. Patients receive medication for a few minutes twice a week for six weeks, but can book more sessions if their stiffness returns. Results usually become visible within weeks of the first treatment.

It is thought that cells absorb the red light, which then sends chemical messages throughout the body to aid their recovery.

Unlike lasers, which emit heat, LEDs are cool to the touch, making the treatment painless.

Nottingham-based radiographer Emma Hallam, who runs the Late Effects Clinic, says she has seen photobiomodulation make an incredible difference to her patients’ lives. Some have returned to work, given speeches at their children’s weddings, or started eating solid foods again – simply because they can open their mouths normally again.

Experts from the Macmillan Late Effects Clinic at Nottingham City Hospital (pictured), which supports patients experiencing serious problems after cancer treatment, are the first in the UK to use LED treatments to treat fibrosis

She says: ‘I knew photobiomodulation was used to help patients with lymphedema, so I wondered if it could also help break down radiation-induced fibrosis.

“And it’s been incredibly successful. It’s the only thing we seem to have that makes a difference for these patients.”

Cindy Martin, from Nottingham, has been undergoing photobiomodulation treatment at the clinic since February 2022.

The 64-year-old mother of three children was diagnosed with salivary gland cancer in early 2021. The tumor was surgically removed, but two months later she required a month’s course of radiotherapy after the cancer spread to the glands in her neck.

This caused her to develop fibrosis, making it difficult to move her head.

Cindy says: ‘I am very grateful that I had radiotherapy, but I did not expect that I would still be affected by it now. It was as if there was a rod behind my ear to my shoulder blade.’

She also suffered from lymphedema, which caused one side of her face to swell so much that one eye was forced to close.

Exactly halfway through her first photobiomodulation treatment, Cindy began to notice a difference and was able to open her eye again. A few weeks ago, she began a second round of treatment after the stiffness and swelling returned, and immediate improvement soon followed.

“It completely changed my life,” she adds, now cancer-free. ‘My self-confidence was shattered, but now I know something can be done about it.’