In modern medicine, radiation therapy (RT) is one of the main therapies for cancer. According to the World Health Organization, about 70% of patients diagnosed with cancer require RT at some stage of treatment. Development and improvement of methods for early diagnosis of cancers, multimodal therapy for cancer patients, including surgical intervention, new drug treatment regimens, modern methods of conformal 3D-RT and proton therapy significantly improved the treatment outcomes of patients and increased their life expectancy. Modern RT is a high-tech chain of sequential use of complex technical devices and mathematical calculations to destroy the tumor without adversely affecting the surrounding normal tissues. Some patients develop radiation injuries to normal organs and tissues that reduce their quality of life. Prevention and treatment of such injuries are urgent problems of modern oncology. The article addresses the pathogenesis and mechanism of the development of systemic and local radiation responses, as well as methods of treatment and prevention of some of them. Three electronic databases, including PubMed, Cochrane and EMBASE, and Russian radiotherapists' publications, were used for systematic review in the information retrieval process.

Despite of an obvious success in the management of cancer patients and in the quality of medical care for them, however there are still open questions on the effectiveness of prevention and treatment of complications after surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, as well as on the quality of comprehensive rehabilitation of such patients. One of the possible ways to solve these issues is low-level laser therapy.Laser therapy in Russia has been successfully used in many areas of modern clinical medicine for more than 50 years; it is still developing and improving. Main advantages of laser therapy are simplicity, comfort, and safety for patients, as well as low costs.The widespread use of low-level laser light has experimental and clinical justification. Awareness in principles of dosing, methodological features of laser procedures, justified prescription and strict compliance with indications and contraindications can ensure high effectiveness of the discussed therapy in oncologic patients.

Objective. To evaluate the efficacy of low-intensity laser radiation in rehabilitation treatment of patients undergoing radical treatment for head and neck tumors. Material and methods. The study included 134 patients (39 (29.1%) men, 95 (70, 9%) women), aged from 23 to 78 years old, with an average age of 54.24±12.7 years. Three groups were formed: Group 1 — 45 patients who received the traditional complex of rehabilitation treatment, which includes physical exercise, massage, and drug therapy, without using low-intensity laser radiation; Group 2 — 45 patients who received the traditional complex of rehabilitation treatment in combination with low-intensity laser radiation; Group 3 — 44 patients who underwent only a few low-intensity laser irradiation courses as a rehabilitation treatment. The impact on the tissues of the shoulder joint and cervico-supraclavicular region was carried out by radiation with a wavelength of 660 nm and 970 nm using a matrix radiation source. The course of treatment was 10 treatment sessions lasting 10 minutes. During the first year after radical treatment, the course of laser therapy was repeated every 3 months. In the course of the study, indicators of the patient’s subjective assessment of changes occurring with them were studied, depending on the method of rehabilitation used, as well as the restoration of range of motion in the shoulder joint on the side of the operation and the function of soft tissues in the shoulder joint on the radical treatment side. Results. Against the background of the treatment, an improvement in the condition of patients was recorded in the form of a decrease in the severity of motor and sensory disorders. Conclusion. Complex rehabilitation treatment with the obligatory use of low-intensity laser radiation provides an improvement in the function of the peripheral nervous system and blood circulation, which, in turn, allows not only to restore the function of these organs, but also to generally improve the quality of life of patients.

Purpose: to evaluate the effectiveness of low-level laser radiation in the complex rehabilitation of patients with head and neck tumors after radical surgical treatment as well as to assess the influence of the discussed treatment on the quality of their life.Material and methods. 134 patients with head and neck cancer aged 23–78 years (mean age – 54.24 ± 12.7 years ) were taken into the study. There were 39 (29.1 %) men and 95 (70.9 %) women. All patients were divided into three groups. In Group 1 (n = 45), patients received traditional rehabilitation treatment (physical exercises, massage, medication); in Group 2 (n = 45), patients had a course of traditional rehabilitation plus low-level laser therapy (LLLT); in Group 3 (n = 44), patients had only several LLLT courses as rehabilitation therapy. For laser therapy, laser device “Azor 2K-02” (laser hazard of class II, GOST 12.1.040-83) was used.Results. During the treatment, most of the patients noted early disappearance or noticeable decrease in pain and numbness intensity at the site of the surgical; skin sensitivity and increase of the muscular tone in the shoulder girdle and upper limb at the site of the surgical were restored as well. The most pronounced regression of complaints after rehabilitation therapy was observed in patients who had LLLT in combination with other rehabilitative measures.Conclusion. Radical surgical or combined treatment of patients with malignant tumors of head and neck causes functional disorders of tissues and organs at the site of treatment. Rehabilitation therapy with LLLT in red and/or infrared spectrum range ensures adequate restoration of impaired functions what improves the quality of life of such patients.

Risks of adverse effects during therapy increase along with progress in oncology and development of new treatment methods. Thus, radiotherapy, one of the main methods of treatment of malignant tumors of various locations, can cause radiodermatitis: an adverse side effect manifesting on the skin in the irradiated area or near it. Clinical manifestations vary from stage to stage and negatively affect patients’ willingness to undergo or continue treatment due to fear of esthetic defects of the skin. Additionally, development of advanced stage radiodermatitis carries the risk of infectious complications in this area. One of the goals of radiation therapists is management of radiation-induced dermatitis and search for techniques aimed at its treatment and prevention.This study evaluates the effects of several products and their components on clinical manifestations of radiodermatitis caused by radiation therapy.

Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) is a rare neoplasm, belongs to spindle cell tumors of mesenchymal origin, which usually arise from serous membranes, but can also be detected in tissues of other organs. SFTs are predominantly benign tumors, however, the frequency of malignancy, according to various authors, can reach up to 15—20%. The share of SFTs of the head and neck organs is 25% of all localizations. In the larynx, SFT is quite rare. SFT is characterized by the difficulty of preoperative and differential diagnostics, requiring immunohistochemical examination. In immunohistochemical examination, CD34 and Vimentin are positive in most cases, CD99 in 50%; Cytokeratin, bcl 2, S100, SMA, CEA, MSLN, Desmin are negative in most cases. The gold standard is the determination of STAT6 expression. The basic method of treatment of SFT patients is surgical therapy.