What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed existing studies to assess the benefits and harms of combining hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) with radiotherapy for treating malignant tumours.
What They Found
The review of 19 trials involving 2286 participants found that for head and neck cancer, HBOT with radiotherapy reduced the risk of dying at one year (risk ratio 0.83) and five years (risk ratio 0.82), with 11 patients needing treatment for one additional beneficial outcome. There was also moderate-quality evidence of improved local tumour control immediately after irradiation (risk ratio 0.58) and a lower incidence of local recurrence.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadian patients undergoing radiotherapy for head and neck cancer, these findings suggest that adding hyperbaric oxygen therapy could potentially improve survival rates and enhance local control of their tumours. This offers a promising approach to improve treatment efficacy and reduce the likelihood of the cancer returning in this specific patient population.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
A limitation noted was that some evidence for improved local tumour control was of moderate quality due to imprecision in the data.