What Researchers Did
Researchers conducted a systematic review of randomised and quasi-randomised trials to assess the benefits and harms of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) during radiotherapy for malignant tumours.
What They Found
Analyzing 19 trials with 2286 patients, researchers found that hyperbaric oxygenation therapy (HBOT) reduced mortality for head and neck cancers at one year (RR 0.83, NNT=11) and five years (RR 0.82, NNT=5). HBOT also improved local tumour control at three months (RR 0.58, NNT=7) and reduced local recurrence at one year for head and neck cancers (RR 0.66, NNT=5).
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Canadian patients with head and neck cancers undergoing radiotherapy may experience improved survival and better local tumour control if hyperbaric oxygenation therapy is administered concurrently. This approach could potentially reduce the risk of cancer recurrence, offering a more effective treatment strategy for these specific malignancies.
Canadian Relevance
This study has no direct Canadian connection as it is a systematic review of international trials.
Study Limitations
The effectiveness of hyperbaric oxygenation therapy varied depending on the specific radiotherapy fractionation schemes used across the included trials.