What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed 17 published studies on hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) used to treat late radiation tissue damage in head and neck cancer patients.
What They Found
This systematic review of 17 studies, covering 640 head and neck cancer patients with late radiation tissue toxicity treated with HBOT, found positive outcomes in 14 of the 17 studies. Most studies looking at osteoradionecrosis and oral health reported beneficial effects, and 11 studies reported statistically significant results (p less than 0.05 in multiple cases). The review also reported a low rate of side effects across the studies.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The authors state that the evidence is mainly derived from low quality studies with a high risk of bias, limited sample sizes, and inconsistent outcome measures, and they call for additional high quality studies to clarify HBOT's true clinical benefits and optimal use.