Hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers years of relief from radiation therapy-induced side effects
Hyperbaric oxygen treatments could provide cancer patients symptom relief years that lasts years after undergoing radiation therapy.
Although radiotherapy is an effective treatment for numerous cancers, it is accompanied by a slew of uncomfortable side effects. For some patients, these effects can last for years and negatively impact their day-to-day lives.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is known to promote tissue healing, both internally and externally. While its effectiveness has been proven, less is known about how long its healing effects last after therapy.
Researchers at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital recently sought to get a better idea of the long-term benefits of the treatment. They conducted an analysis on a group of more than 200 patients with radiation-induced cystitis, dividing participants into two groups—one that underwent hyperbaric oxygen therapy (30–40 sessions, 100% oxygen, breathed at 240–250 kPa, for 80–90 min daily over a period of 6 months) and one that received the standard of care (medication and physiotherapy) post-radiotherapy.
During their initial follow-up after undergoing radiation therapy, every patient reported struggling with gastrointestinal and urinary side effects, including bleeding, incontinence, diarrhea and more. However, the hyperbaric oxygen treatment group experienced significantly more relief compared to the control group. Scores related to pain and disability decreased substantially in this group, especially for urinary incontinence. What’s more, their relief was sustained for up to five years.
Experts involved in the research were pleased with their findings and expressed optimism for how hyperbaric therapy could improve the everyday lives of individuals recovering from radiation treatments.
“Patients who respond to treatment go from being very distressed by their symptoms and restricted by their need to have quick access to a toilet, to being able to live a fully normal life,” principal investigator of the study Nicklas Oscarsson, a senior consultant in anesthesiology and intensive care, and researcher at the University of Gothenburg and Sahlgrenska University Hospital, said in a release. “Now we know that this pronounced improvement lasts for at least five years. The treatment can therefore lead to the healing of an otherwise chronic injury.”
Oscarsson added that this sort of treatment is a feasible option in many areas, as hyperbaric oxygen therapy is readily available already.
Learn more about the findings here.
In addition to her background in journalism, Hannah also has patient-facing experience in clinical settings, having spent more than 12 years working as a registered rad tech. She began covering the medical imaging industry for Innovate Healthcare in 2021.