|  | Conditions Treatments | Diseases

Cancer Treatment with Hyperbaric Oxygen

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) is a process that involves a patient being encapsulated in a sealed chamber while breathing pure oxygen. The chamber is pressurized at an atmospheric pressure that is 2 to 3 times the normal level. Studies have shown that HBOT may be effective in the prevention and treatment of various medical conditions, including side effects of radiation treatment in cancer patients. Many alternative practitioners claim that HBOT is successful in treating cancer. According to the Mayo Clinic, its use in cancer treatment is promising.

  1. Uses

    • Hyperbaric oxygen treatment for cancer patients should only be performed as a complementary therapy that works together with conventional therapy. It should only be utilized under the direct supervision of a qualified medical doctor and is not intended to replace allopathic treatment. According to cancer.org, available scientific studies do not support any claims of successful treatment with HBOT in the absence of conventional medicine. Medicaid and Medicare have recently begun to cover HBOT for certain conditions, but cancer is not one of them.

    What to Expect

    • Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be performed in either a one-person chamber or in a multi-person chamber that holds over a dozen people. The single chamber is a 7-foot long tube that is made of clear plastic. You will lie on a padded table which will be slided into the plastic tube. Multi-person chambers are large enough that several people can walk around in them. Depending on the amount of people and the facility offering the treatment, patients in a multi-person chamber will be instructed to either lie down or sit on a bench. Pure oxygen will slowly be pressurized into the chamber. You will be asked to breath normally and relax during the therapy. As the pressure gradually rises, you may experience some slight discomfort and ear popping, which generally will disappear if the level of pressure is turned down slightly. The technician will be stationed just outside the chamber to assess your progress and note any possible discomfort. The session will last from 30 minutes to 2 hours. When you are finished, the technician will decrease the pressure gradually.

    Risks

    • There are some risks associated with HBOT. According to an article in the NY Times, Dr. Charles S. Graffeo, a specialist in hyperbaric medicine at the Eastern Virginia Medical School said that risks include ear and sinus pain, fatigue, low blood sugar, nearsightedness that can last for weeks, and anxiety attacks resulting from confinement in the chamber. The article stated that HBOT should be considered dangerous for patients suffering from a collapsed lung and for those who are receiving chemotherapy with cisplatinum or adriamycin. Pregnant women and people suffering from asthma may also have serious side effects with HBOT.

Diseases - Related Articles