There are approximately 500 patients with head and neck cancer treated at Leeds Cancer Centre every year, and around 50 patients seen each day.

These patients undergo a combination of radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatment to treat their cancer.

Many patients develop side effects from their treatment, one of the most debilitating being the development of oral mucositis, causing painful ulcers and inflammation inside the mouth.

Thanks to donations and generous contributions from the Biswas Foundation and Jacqui’s Million we have invested £80,000 to fund photo biomodulation technology that can help prevent this condition from developing.

Now, patients are able to access handheld devices and self-administer innovative light therapy in just seven minutes before or after a radiotherapy sessions, helping to reduce the severity of oral mucositis.

Rosie Parfitt, Sister in the Radiotherapy Department at Leeds Cancer Centre told us:

“Before we could offer our patients this preventative treatment, many of them develop such severe Oral Mucositis that they were unable to eat and drink properly, leaving some reliant on being tube fed and needing stronger painkillers to cope with the pain. We also saw more patients being admitted to hospital for a longer stay because of the side effects of this condition.

“We’re so grateful that thanks to charity funding, we have been able to create a dedicated space where patients can self-administer photo biomodulation therapy with around 50 to 60 patients treated every day. The effectiveness of this treatment has enabled our patients to have the best quality of life during treatment, by reducing the risk of developing this incredibly painful side effect.”

In addition to the new equipment, Leeds Hospitals Charity has also funded new artwork for the walls of the dedicated room where patients use the photo biomodulation devices, helping to create a calm environment.