In 2015, 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 world-wide, 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.
While the FDA has not approved HBOT for cancer treatment, in 1930, Dr. Otto Warburg, MD, in Europe, received the Nobel Medical Award for his research in preventing and treating cancer due to increasing the oxygen levels in the blood.
Several documented studies show the benefits of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy and cancer.
The pressure in the chamber causes the oxygen that is breathed to be dissolved in your blood.
When a patient breathes 100% oxygen at pressures from 1.5 to 3.0 atmospheres (Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy), red blood cells carry 98% of their capacity for oxygen.
It has long been known that healing cannot occur without appropriate oxygen levels in the tissues. In many cases, such as circulatory problems and strokes, adequate oxygen cannot reach the affected area, and the body’s natural healing process does not function properly.
Here are a few ways that Hyperbaric Oxygen potentially helps your body fight against cancer:
- · Potentially Weakens Hypoxic Tumors [1]
- · Targets Metastatic Tumors [2]
- · Increases Reactive Oxygen Species Production [3]
- · Amplifies Cancer Cell Death [4]
- · Regresses Tumor Volume [5]
- · Reduces Radiation Therapy Side Effects [6]
- · Reduces Chemotherapy Side Effects [7]
- · Reduces Chemo-Brain Syndrome Symptoms [8]
- · Accelerates Post-Operative Healing & Prevents Infection [9]
- · Decreases Inflammatory Markers [10]
- · Normalizes Intracellular Oxygen Levels [11]
- · Stimulates Cellular Detoxification [12]
[1] http://europepmc.org/articles/pmc4247798
[2] PLOS ONE: Non-Toxic Metabolic Management of Metastatic Cancer in VM Mice: Novel Combination of Ketogenic Diet, Ketone Supplementation, and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
[3] Oxygen therapy does not increase production and damage induced by reactive oxygen species in focal cerebral ischemia. – PubMed – NCBI
[5] Oxygen therapy does not increase production and damage induced by reactive oxygen species in focal cerebral ischemia. – PubMed – NCBI
[6] Early Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Reducing Radiotherapy Side Effects: Early Results of a Randomized Trial in Oropharyngeal and Nasopharyngeal Cancer – International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics
[8] http://www.oxygenrescuecarecentersofamerica.com/pdf/cancer/Hyperbaric%20Oxygen%20Therapy%20as%20Aid%20in%20Cancer%20Care%20for%20Chemotherapy%20and%20Radiation%20Therapy.doc.pdf