Brain Cancer: HBOT Combined with Radiation, Chemo

Most every FDA-cleared and UHMS-approved indication for hyperbaric oxygen involves its use as an adjunct, or supplement, to other standard therapies. Yet medical science is just now beginning important research into the potentially harmful and beneficial effects of hyperbaric oxygen in combination with common therapeutics. (See our July 21 post, "Mixing Hyperbaric Oxygen With Other Prescription Drugs.") New studies are exploring the use of HBOT with radio- and chemotherapy in the treatment of malignant glioblastoma, or glioma, the most aggressive form of brain cancer.

Investigators want to know if increasing the oxygen concentration in the tumor might lend standard therapies a boost. Early results show promise. Phase II of a long-term clinical trial in Japan, published March 17 in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics, concludes:

Radiotherapy delivered immediately after HBO with multiagent chemotherapy was safe, with virtually no late toxicities, and seemed to be effective in patients with high-grade gliomas.

Previous studies out of Japan showed similar benefit. Another Phase II study, the first in the US, at the Long Island Brain Tumor Center in Great Neck and Commack, New York, is currently recruiting participants. Learn more about enrolling on ClinicalTrials.gov and read more about this important work in Medical News Today.

O2.0 is the news blog of HyperbaricLink, the independent web guide to hyperbaric oxygen therapy.