Laser Acupoints Stimulation on Xerostomia Related Chemoradiotherapy for Head and Neck Cancer Patients

They will receive oral chemotherapy, based on the cancer stage, and will also undergo radiotherapy.

LASER acupoints therapy will use the Pointer Pulse device (GMT2000 s.r.l., Italy), emitting 650 nm red light with an audio trimmer for acupoint detection. Treatment parameters include 5 mW power, 120 s irradiation per point over a 3.14 mm² area (fluence: 19.2 J/cm², power density: 0.16 W/cm², total dose: 0.6 J). Continuous red laser will be applied for effective stimulation. Sessions will occur once weekly for five weeks. Bilateral stimulation will follow this order: left hand, left face, trunk, right face, and right hand. Targeted acupoints: LI 2 Erjian, ST 5 Daying, ST 6 Jiache, ST 7 Xiaguan, SI 19 Tinggong, and BL 13 Feishu.

For the pseudo-LASER acupoints therapy, the same procedures and sequence of acupoint application will be followed as in the active treatment. However, the Pointer Pulse device (GMT2000 s.r.l., Italy) will be deactivated to emit no therapeutic laser light while maintaining visual and audio cues to mimic real stimulation. The device will appear active to ensure blinding. Sessions will be conducted once weekly for five weeks, applying the probe to the same bilateral acupoints in the following order: left hand, left face, trunk, right face, and right hand. The targeted points will be LI 2 Erjian, ST 5 Daying, ST 6 Jiache, ST 7 Xiaguan, SI 19 Tinggong, and BL 13 Feishu.