A new study just published on Feb 2011 in the journal of cancer makes a strong argument for applying hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) for those patients who have had either surgery or radiation therapy for brain tumors. The study followed patients who had been treated with HBOT and there was a marked improvement in cognitive [...]
» Click Here to Read the full ArticleA new study just published on Feb 2011 in the journal of cancer makes a strong argument for applying hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) for those patients who have had either surgery or radiation therapy for brain tumors. The study followed patients who had been treated with HBOT and there was a marked improvement in cognitive function which was supported and documented by standard neuropsychological testing.
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Radiation therapy is a standard of care for many patients undergoing cancer treatments; however, when pelvic radiation is performed, it’s successes also can come with a debilitating side-effect where the bladder becomes inflamed leading to a painful and bleeding condition called hemorrhagic cystitis (HS). This is a very difficult condition to treat. Promising new research, just published in March 2011, is now giving hope for these sufferers. This study clearly demonstrates successful therapy with long-term follow up when patients were treated with hyperbaric oxygenation therapy. Here, a standard program of just 40 hyperbaric sessions were given to 25 patients who were diagnosed with HS. More importantly, all patients had already failed conventional therapy. So get ready for the results–ALL 25 PATIENTS IMPROVED AND WERE SUCCESSFULLY TREATED. Furthermore, after close to 2 year follow up, no regressions were shown. The results of this study are truly remarkable and makes for a strong argument to add hyperabric oxygenation therapy to standard of care and a primary treatment option for those with HS. The authors of the study support this previous statement by adding in the fact that hyperbaric oxygen is highly effective and safe, non-invasive therapy for HC secondary to pelvic radiation
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A landmark study provided by the Ohio State University in Columbus has just been published in the Journal of Cancer Biology & Therapy and the results are consistent with the latest research validating the use of HBOT in Cancer therapy. It has already been well established that solid tumours are low in oxygen (hypoxic) and it is this factor that limits conventional therapy like chemo and radiation, and allows for resistance to congenital treatments. In this study, the addition of HBOT (90 minute sessions daily for up to 21 days at a dose of 2.0 ATA)corrected the hypoxic tumour and leading to enhancement of chemotherapeutic regimen for ovarian cancer. In addition and of extreme significance is that the application of HBOT alone caused a significant reduction in tumour size. This study confirms recent literature supporting the use of HBOT with and without conventional therapy.
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More research is demonstrating the importance of combining hyperbaric oxygen therapy with conventional drug therapy for cancer for sensitizing the cancer cells, ultimately leading to more cancer death. Here, this study showed us that just elevating the pressure and combining a promising anticancer agent caused more destruction to the cancer cells.
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The proliferation of cancer cells in this trial was reduced by the application of both HBOT and chemotherapy (5-FU). However, the combination of the 2 resulted in a marked and significant synergism in the reduction of cancer cell proliferation. HBOT’s role in this chemosensitization may be a powerful addition to current cancer practices.
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Cancer patients wanted for oxygen trial
Jun 4 2010 by Madeleine Brindley, South Wales Echo
CANCER survivors suffering from the side-effects of radiotherapy are being urged to sign up to a new clinical trial.
The research, which is being sponsored by the Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and the Institute of Cancer Research (ICR), will examine the benefits of oxygen therapy.
It is open to patients who have had radiotherapy in the pelvic area.
While most patients return to normal within a few weeks of finishing radiotherapy, about 30% develop long-term bowel problems that impact on their quality of life.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to treat scuba divers who suffer the bends, and it is also given to elite sportsmen after an injury to help them heal more quickly.
Several small studies suggest high pressure oxygen can permanently improve the side-effects of radiotherapy in patients who are treated for cancers of the cervix, womb, ovary, prostate, testis, rectum or bladder.
One of the trial centres is the Spire Cardiff Hospital.
John Yarnold, professor of clinical oncology at the Royal Marsden and the ICR, said: “It’s very difficult for patients who have already coped with cancer and radiotherapy to be left with these side-effects.
“We are looking to try to answer once and for all whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy reverses symptoms.”
The treatment lasts 90 minutes and is given five days a week for eight weeks.
For more information contact the Sue Martin on 0208 661 3273/3460/3986 or e-mail sue.martin@icr.ac.uk
Oncol Rep. 2009 Nov;22(5):1045-50.
Hyperbaric oxygen as a chemotherapy adjuvant in the treatment of osteosarcoma.
Kawasoe Y, Yokouchi M, Ueno Y, Iwaya H, Yoshida H, Komiya S.
Department of Orthopaedic Surgery, Kagoshima Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences, Kagoshima 890-8520, Japan.
Although hyperbaric oxygen has been shown to enhance the efficacy of radiotherapy and chemotherapy for the treatment of several malignant tumors, the impact of hyperbaric oxygen on osteosarcoma has not yet been demonstrated. In this study, we investigated the efficacy of hyperbaric oxygen alone and in combination with an anti-cancer drug as an adjuvant to chemotherapy. In vitro, highly metastatic murine osteosarcoma cell lines were exposed to hyperbaric oxygen and cell viability was examined. Hyperbaric oxygen alone significantly suppressed cell proliferation, and hyperbaric oxygen plus carboplatin exhibited significant synergism in suppression of cell proliferation. In vivo, C3H mice were subcutaneously inoculated with osteosarcoma cells and divided into four groups: control, hyperbaric oxygen, carboplatin, and carboplatin plus hyperbaric oxygen. After 5 weeks, increase in both tumor volume and number of lung metastases was significantly suppressed in the hyperbaric oxygen group. Concomitant hyperbaric oxygen clearly enhanced the chemotherapeutic effects of carboplatin on both tumor growth and lung metastasis in osteosarcoma-bearing mice. Moreover, mortality in the carboplatin plus hyperbaric oxygen group was significantly lower than in the other three groups. These findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygen plus carboplatin combination therapy could be an appropriate therapeutic regimen for the treatment of patients with osteosarcoma.
January 27th 2010 Private rehabilitation treatment news
A new treatment involving the use of pressurised oxygen is being pioneered at one of Europe’s leading rehabilitation clinics. Castle Craig, a rehab clinic in Scotland, is also to become a global resource on the use of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT). Researchers from Edinburgh University have already studied the innovative procedure, which can be used as an aid in cancer treatment and to boost healing from conditions such as MRSA and multiple sclerosis. Peter McCann, chairman at Castle Craig Hospital, said: “HBOT is a new type of therapy offered at Castle Craig – our own research is still in the early stages and, as far as I am aware, no other clinics or hospitals treating addictions in the UK are offering this treatment.” He added that promoting the treatment and “realising its potential” would become crucial if the maximum number or patients were to benefit. HBOT involves patients spending around 60 minutes at a time in a chamber where they breathe pressurised pure oxygen. The chamber allows ten times the normal amount of oxygen to be dissolved in the bloodstream, which can help white blood cells to kill bacteria, reduce swelling and speed up the recovery of damaged tissue.
Brain Nerve. 2009 Jun;61(6):677-81. Links
[Utility of hyperbaric oxygenation in radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors--a literature review]
[Article in Japanese]
Department of Neurosurgery, Iwate Medical University, 19-1 Uchimaru, Morioka, Iwate 020-8505, Japan.
Over the past 50 years, hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) therapy has been used in a wide variety of medical conditions; this theraphy causes an increase in oxygen tension in blood and tissues. In the treatment of malignant gliomas, HBO therapy is used for the radiosensitization of cells in combination with radiotherapy (RT). Further, HBO therapy is applied for the treatment and prevention of radiation-induced brain necrosis that is the most serious complication observed after radiosurgery. We reviewed the literature to evaluate the manner in which HBO therapy contributes to clinical fields in cases of RT administration for malignant brain tumors.
Pediatr Blood Cancer. 2009 Mar;52(3):408-11. Links
Management of brain abscesses in children treated for acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
Lackner H, Sovinz P, Benesch M, Smolle-Jüttner F, Mokry M, Schwinger W, Moser A, Urban C.
Department of Pediatrics and Adolescent Medicine, Division of Pediatric Hematology, Medical University of Graz, Graz, Austria. herwig.lackner@meduni-graz.at
Brain abscesses in children with leukemia or other malignancies are rare and potentially fatal. We report on four children who developed brain abscesses during treatment for acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). All patients received multimodal broad-spectrum antibiotic therapy and liposomal amphotericin-B in combination with hyperbaric oxygen. First-line antimicrobial treatment was modified when a causative organism was isolated. All four patients survived, with two patients showing complete resolution of neurological and MRI abnormalities and with two patients still having residual lesions. To date, all patients are in remission with three patients still receiving antileukemic therapy. Brain abscesses can be successfully managed by a multimodality approach even in severely immunocompromised cancer patient
