What Researchers Did
Researchers used a technique called flow cytometry, involving bromodeoxyuridine/DNA analysis and a 1-hour incubation under hyperbaric oxygen, to assess the malignant potential of 100 human bladder tumours.
What They Found
Of the 100 tumours, 55 showed DNA aneuploidy with a mean labeling index (LI) of 13.5%, compared to 45 tumours with DNA diploidy and an LI of 4.9%. The percentage of aneuploidy increased with tumour grade, reaching 95.8% in grade 3 tumours, and all muscle-invaded tumours were aneuploid with a significantly higher LI of 17.2%. Patients with low LI tumours had a 3-year survival rate of 96.1%, significantly higher than the 38.1% for those with high LI tumours.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified. This study is not Canadian, and bladder cancer is not a Health Canada-recognised indication for hyperbaric oxygen therapy. The hyperbaric oxygen mentioned was for cell preparation, not patient treatment.
Study Limitations
This study was conducted in 1995, and the abstract was truncated, limiting a full understanding of the research design and potential broader implications.