What Researchers Did
Researchers reviewed 29 patients diagnosed with laryngeal chondroradionecrosis (LCRN), a rare complication where throat cartilage breaks down after radiation therapy, at a single hospital between 2006 and 2019, measuring whether HBOT improved their disease severity score.
What They Found
Of 678 irradiated laryngeal cancer patients, 29 (4.3%) developed LCRN. Ten patients received HBOT. In those 10 patients, the median Chandler severity grade improved significantly from 4 (severe) to 2.5 (moderate) after HBOT (p=0.005). Six patients ultimately required total laryngectomy despite treatment.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
For Canadians who have received radiation for throat or voice box cancer and experience worsening symptoms like difficulty breathing or swallowing, possibly due to LCRN, HBOT may reduce disease severity and delay the need for laryngectomy. Delayed radiation injury to the larynx qualifies under OHIP-covered indications for HBOT.
Canadian Relevance
Delayed radiation injury is an OHIP-covered indication for HBOT in Ontario. Patients with persistent or worsening symptoms after laryngeal radiation should ask their ENT specialist about HBOT eligibility.
Study Limitations
Only 10 of the 29 patients received HBOT and they were not randomly assigned, making it impossible to rule out selection bias in who was chosen for HBOT treatment.