What Researchers Did
Researchers surveyed 179 hyperbaric medicine facilities regarding their policies and referral patterns for cancer patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy.
What They Found
Out of 85 returned surveys, most facilities accept patients with a history of malignancy for hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. An overwhelming majority had not personally observed or been told of cases where HBO activated or accelerated malignancy, despite 7% believing HBO is potentially carcinogenic and 42% fearing malpractice litigation.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with a history of malignancy considering hyperbaric oxygen therapy can be reassured that most surveyed facilities do not believe HBO promotes cancer growth. While a theoretical risk of tumor acceleration exists, the vast majority of practitioners in this survey have not observed such an effect in their practice.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it surveyed hyperbaric medicine facilities outside of Canada.
Study Limitations
This study is limited by its survey design, relying on self-reported perceptions and a response rate of less than 50% from the surveyed facilities.