[Functional status of the lymphocytes and adrenal cortex in preoperative radiotherapy of patients with laryngeal cancer exposed to different oxygen conditions].

What Researchers Did

Researchers studied lymphocytic and adrenal cortical function in 38 laryngeal cancer patients undergoing preoperative radiotherapy under normal air conditions versus hyperbaric oxygenation.

What They Found

They found that radiation reactions, specifically epitheliitis, were less frequent in patients treated with hyperbaric oxygenation compared to those treated in air. Furthermore, the probability of developing epitheliitis was higher in patients who exhibited lowered lymphocytic function.

What This Means for Canadian Patients

For Canadian patients undergoing radiotherapy for laryngeal cancer, these findings suggest that hyperbaric oxygenation might help reduce radiation-induced side effects like epitheliitis. Monitoring a patient's lymphocytic function could potentially identify those at higher risk for developing such complications during treatment.

Canadian Relevance

This study has no direct Canadian connection as it was conducted internationally.

Study Limitations

A limitation of this study is its relatively small sample size of 38 patients and the abstract does not provide detailed statistical outcomes.