The side effects of radiation therapy for pelvic cancer have caused debilitating patients to find lasting hope now. A groundbreaking five-year study published this week in the Lancet eclinicalmedicine shows that hyperbaric oxygen therapy provides lasting long-term relief for radiation-induced urine problems.
The Nordic Rich-Art trial involved 70 patients at five university hospitals and showed significant improvements in bladder function, which lasted for five years after treatment. Nearly 70% of patients responded positively to the therapy, which involved breathing pure oxygen in the pressurized chamber.
“Patients who respond to treatment range from being very troubled by symptoms and being demanded to quickly access the toilet to being able to live a completely normal life,” explained Nicklas Oscarsson, senior consultant and principal investigator at the University of Gothenburg. “Now, we know that this obvious improvement lasts for at least five years. Therefore, treatment can lead to the healing of the otherwise chronic injury.”
Although radiation therapy successfully destroys cancer cells in organs such as the prostate, colon, ovary, and cervix, 5-10% of patients experience serious side effects between 5-10% when healthy tissue is damaged. Symptoms may include urinary incontinence, bleeding, and severe pain – problems that usually occur in the years after treatment and gradually worsen.
The study found that the average urinary function of patients increased by 19.1 points on the standardized scale within five years of treatment, much higher than the 9-point threshold considered clinically meaningful. Even more surprisingly, some patients who were classified as nonresponders at six months showed improvements at later checkpoints.
The effect of treatment stems from how cells adapt to high oxygen levels. “The increase in oxygen levels provided in the high-pressure chamber increases blood vessel growth and prevents chronic inflammation, thereby reducing serious side effects,” the study report states.
Despite these encouraging results, researchers believe that hyperbaric oxygen therapy has been underutilized. “We have reason to believe that many patients with severe symptoms have never been mentioned in hyperbaric oxygen therapy,” Oscarsson noted. “Today, we have the ability to treat more patients, but we need to better share our knowledge with colleagues and patient associations.”
The treatment regimen involves 90 minutes of daily treatment in a high-pressure room for 30-40 days, with a pressure equivalent to 14 meters underwater. Although seemingly intensive, the study proves that investment has produced many years of illness symptoms.
In addition to improving the quality of life of current radiation patients, this study opens up new possibilities for cancer treatment itself. Radiation dose is currently limited by concerns about side effects. A reliable approach to addressing these complications may allow for a more aggressive treatment approach.
Researchers recommend further investigations on whether early hyperbaric oxygen interventions may prevent serious side effects from occurring in the first place, which may change the experience of thousands of cancer survivors around the world.
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