Red Light Therapy at our London Clinic
Red light therapy, known clinically as photobiomodulation, uses low-level red and near-infrared light to influence how cells produce and use energy. It is painless, involves no heat and no ultraviolet light, and a session takes a matter of minutes. In cancer care it has one clearly established use, and that is the one we are introducing it for: helping to prevent the mouth ulceration that some patients develop during treatment.
- Consultant-assessed, individually planned
- Tower Bridge Road, London
GMC-Registered Doctors
Research-Backed Protocols
Tailored to Your Diagnosis
CQC-Regulated Clinic
Our red light therapy equipment is being installed at our Tower Bridge clinic. Register your interest below and we will contact you as soon as appointments are available.
Who Is Red Light Therapy Suitable For?
Red light therapy is most relevant to patients at risk of developing oral mucositis — painful inflammation and ulceration of the mouth and throat. That risk is highest for patients receiving radiotherapy to the head and neck, and for those receiving high-dose chemotherapy ahead of a stem cell transplant.
Suitability is assessed individually. Dr Saskia will review your diagnosis and your treatment schedule before any course begins. Guidelines do not currently make a recommendation for patients receiving chemotherapy alone, or for treating mucositis once it has already developed, and we will tell you plainly if you fall outside the groups the evidence supports.
Our clinical team specialises in integrative cancer care. Every member understands the unique needs of cancer patients and stays up to date with the latest research so that your protocol reflects current best practice.
Treatment takes place at our clinic on Tower Bridge Road in central London.
Sessions are short and comfortable. There is no heat, no ultraviolet light and no recovery period afterwards.
For prevention of mucositis, sessions are given regularly through your course of cancer treatment rather than as a one-off. Timing matters, so we co-ordinate with your hospital schedule.
What is red light therapy?
Red light therapy, known clinically as photobiomodulation, uses low-level red and near-infrared light applied directly to tissue. The light is absorbed by structures inside cells that are involved in producing energy, and that appears to influence how those cells repair and respond to inflammation.
It is not a laser treatment in the surgical sense. There is no heat, no ultraviolet light and nothing that cuts or burns. You may also see it referred to as low-level laser therapy.
In cancer care, its established use is preventing oral mucositis — inflammation and ulceration of the lining of the mouth and throat. Mucositis is a common and genuinely debilitating side effect of certain cancer treatments, particularly radiotherapy to the head and neck, and high-dose chemotherapy given before a stem cell transplant. At its worst it makes eating, drinking, swallowing and speaking painful enough to interfere with treatment itself.
Photobiomodulation is one of the few interventions with a firm guideline recommendation for preventing it. MASCC/ISOO recommend intra-oral photobiomodulation for the prevention of oral mucositis in adults receiving radiotherapy to the head and neck, and in adults receiving high-dose chemotherapy ahead of a stem cell transplant. NICE has separately concluded that the evidence on efficacy is adequate in quality and quantity, and that there are no major safety concerns.
Red light therapy is marketed widely for skin rejuvenation, hair growth, weight loss and general wellbeing. Some of those uses have early research behind them and some have very little. We are introducing it for one purpose, supported by oncology guidelines: helping to prevent oral mucositis in patients having treatment that commonly causes it. We do not offer it as a cancer therapy and we make no claims beyond its supportive role.
Contact us for a free consultation.
Mon – Fri 9:00am – 6:00pm
- 185 Tower Bridge Road, London
How is red light therapy carried out?
Treatment is delivered inside the mouth using a small applicator, or to the surface of the skin, depending on your protocol. The light is not hot and there is nothing to feel beyond mild warmth.
A session takes a few minutes. There is no recovery period and you can carry on with your day immediately afterwards.
For prevention of mucositis, sessions are given regularly through your course of cancer treatment rather than as a one-off. Timing matters, so we will co-ordinate with your hospital schedule.
In almost all of the research behind the current guidelines, the light was deliberately not applied directly over tumour sites. The reason is straightforward: how malignant cells respond to photobiomodulation is not yet well enough understood to be confident either way. We follow that same approach. Treatment is planned around your tumour site, not over it, and your protocol is reviewed by Dr Saskia before you begin.
What Red Light Therapy Is Used For
Red light therapy is not a treatment for cancer. We are introducing it for one purpose, supported by oncology guidelines: helping to prevent oral mucositis in patients having treatment that commonly causes it.
Head and Neck Radiotherapy
Guidelines recommend intra-oral photobiomodulation for preventing oral mucositis in adults receiving radiotherapy to the head and neck, with or without chemotherapy.
Before a Stem Cell Transplant
Also recommended for adults receiving high-dose chemotherapy ahead of a haematopoietic stem cell transplant.
Prevention, Not Treatment
The evidence supports using it to prevent mucositis developing. Guidelines do not currently make a recommendation for treating mucositis once it is established.
Planned Around Your Tumour Site
Treatment is not applied directly over tumour sites. That is the approach used in the research behind the guidelines and the one we follow.
Alongside Your Hospital Team
We do not work in place of your oncology team. With your consent, your protocol is shared with them and timed around your treatment.
Assessed Individually
Guidelines do not cover chemotherapy-only patients or children. We will tell you plainly if you fall outside the groups the evidence supports.
Risks and side effects of red light therapy
Photobiomodulation is well tolerated and NICE has concluded there are no major safety concerns. There are still things worth knowing before you start, and we will go through all of them with you.
Generally well tolerated
There is no heat, no ultraviolet light and no recovery period. Most patients feel nothing beyond mild warmth during a session.
Eye protection
Protective eyewear is used during treatment. You should not look directly at the light source.
Timing matters
For preventing mucositis, sessions need to run alongside your cancer treatment on a regular schedule. Starting late or missing sessions reduces the benefit.
Not applied over tumour sites
How malignant cells respond to photobiomodulation is not yet well understood. Treatment is planned around your tumour site rather than over it.
Before starting red light therapy, our team reviews your diagnosis and your current hospital treatment to confirm this is appropriate for you. We will explain what to expect, co-ordinate timing with your oncology team, and tell you if red light therapy is not right in your case.
Research on red light therapy for oral mucositis
If you would like to read more about the evidence behind photobiomodulation for oral mucositis, the following sources set out the current position:
- MASCC/ISOO clinical practice guidelines for the management of mucositis — recommend intra-oral photobiomodulation for the prevention of oral mucositis in adults receiving radiotherapy to the head and neck, with or without chemotherapy, and in adults receiving high-dose chemotherapy ahead of a stem cell transplant.
- NICE — low-level laser therapy for preventing or treating oral mucositis — concluded that the evidence on efficacy is adequate in quality and quantity, and that there are no major safety concerns.
- MASCC/ISOO — where no recommendation was possible — the guidelines make no recommendation for patients receiving chemotherapy alone, for treating oral mucositis once it has developed, or for children.
- Cochrane review of interventions for preventing oral mucositis — across the treatments assessed, photobiomodulation was the intervention shown to reduce the risk of severe mucositis.
Register your interest in red light therapy
Our red light therapy equipment is being installed at our Tower Bridge clinic. If you would like to be contacted when appointments open, leave your details below. Registering places you under no obligation, and we will not add you to a marketing list. If you would prefer to speak to someone first, our Medical Advisory Team work closely with our lead consultant Dr Saskia Kloppenburg and can talk through whether red light therapy is likely to be relevant to your situation.
