What Researchers Did
Researchers retrospectively analyzed the clinical records of 88 patients with late radiation lesions treated with hyperbaric oxygen therapy at a Hyperbaric Medicine Unit between October 2014 and September 2019.
What They Found
The study included 88 patients with various radiation lesions, such as 33 with radiation cystitis, 20 with radiation proctitis, 13 with osteoradionecrosis of the mandible, and 22 with radiation enteritis. All patient groups showed a significant decrease (p < 0.005) in the subjective parameter of the LENT-SOMA scale after hyperbaric oxygen therapy.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients experiencing late radiation injuries from cancer treatment may find hyperbaric oxygen therapy to be a beneficial complementary treatment. This therapy could potentially improve their quality of life by reducing symptoms associated with these lesions.
Canadian Relevance
This study was not conducted in Canada and does not have a direct Canadian connection.
Study Limitations
This was a retrospective, single-center study, which limits the generalizability of the findings.