Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Used in Combination with Conventional Cancer Treatments
In 2013, over 1.6 million people were diagnosed with cancer and over 500,000 cancer-related deaths occurred in the U.S. alone. Cancer is one of the leading causes of death, worldwide, and new integrated treatments are being utilized to help combat its devastating effects.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is currently being utilized in conjunction with conventional treatments, including radiation and chemotherapy, to attain optimal dosages for patients, stimulate tumor regression and reduce the side effects of treatments. Cancer thrives in hypoxic or low-oxygen environments and HBOT has been shown to increase these oxygen levels to weaken tumors and reduce their aggressiveness.
Studies have demonstrated the benefits of HBOT for cancer with the following:
Scroll to the bottom of this page for links to a few supporting research articles.
Enhance Conventional Cancer Therapies and Treatments with HBOT
- Reduces Tumor Hypoxia: Better Radiation Therapy Results, Improves Chemotherapy Outcome, Enhances Brain Treatment
- Decreases Tumor Drug Resistance
- Allows for Optimal Therapy Dosage to be Attained
- Improves Post-Op Fibroblast Activation
Reduce Tumor Aggressiveness with HBOT
- Weakens Hypoxic Tumors
- Targets Metastatic Tumors
Increase Natural Killer Cell Activity and Function with HBOT
- Increases Oxy-Radical Production
- Amplifies Apoptosis Effect
- Regresses Tumor Volume
Reduce Side Effects of “Conventional” Cancer Therapies and Treatments with HBOT
- Reduces Radiation Therapy Side Effects
- Decreases Chemotherapy Side Effects
- Accelerates Post-Operative Healing and Prevents Infection
- Reduces Chemo-Brain Syndrome Symptoms
Enhance IV Cancer Treatments with HBOT
- Increases Intravenous Vitamin C Therapy Effect
- Enhances Chemotherapy Uptake
Cancer Prevention with HBOT
- Decreases Inflammatory Markers
- Normalizes Intracellular Oxygen Levels
- Stimulates Cellular Detoxification
- Reduces Risk of Pathogenic Inflammatory-Related Tumors
- Supports Cellular Energy Processes for Optimal DNA Repair
Source: International Hyperbarics Association
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Research Study: Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Suppresses Cancer Growth
Low oxygen levels within tumor cells (tumor hypoxia) are a major signal for these cancer cells to produce blood vessels (angiogenesis) and rapidly grow. Not only does that make them much more aggressive, but it also makes them much more resistant to both chemotherapy and radiation therapy. This is truly a dangerous combination and why there has been so much attention in the medical field (and with oncologists) to reduce tumor hypoxia. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is one of the most effective, and practical, ways to alleviate tumor hypoxia. The results from this study are extremely promising and researchers concluded: “Despite the fact that behavior and prognosis of the triple positive and negative subtypes of cancer are different, the HBOT had a similar suppressive effect on tumor growth, indicating that they share a common oxygen dependent anti-tumor mechanism.” (Emphasis added by OxyLife Hyperbarics)
Research Study: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and cancer—a review
Hypoxia is a critical hallmark of solid tumors and involves enhanced cell survival, angiogenesis, glycolytic metabolism, and metastasis. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) treatment has for centuries been used to improve or cure disorders involving hypoxia and ischemia, by enhancing the amount of dissolved oxygen in the plasma and thereby increasing O2 delivery to the tissue. Studies on HBO and cancer have up to recently focused on whether enhanced oxygen acts as a cancer promoter or not. As oxygen is believed to be required for all the major processes of wound healing, one feared that the effects of HBO would be applicable to cancer tissue as well and promote cancer growth. Furthermore, one also feared that exposing patients who had been treated for cancer, to HBO, would lead to recurrence. Nevertheless, two systematic reviews on HBO and cancer have concluded that the use of HBO in patients with malignancies is considered safe. To supplement the previous reviews, we have summarized the work performed on HBO and cancer in the period 2004–2012. Based on the present as well as previous reviews, there is no evidence indicating that HBO neither acts as a stimulator of tumor growth nor as an enhancer of recurrence. On the other hand, there is evidence that implies that HBO might have tumor-inhibitory effects in certain cancer subtypes, and we thus strongly believe that we need to expand our knowledge on the effect and the mechanisms behind tumor oxygenation.