27 Jan Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy After Cancer Treatment: A Patient Story
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) is increasingly being used as a supportive therapy for individuals experiencing tissue damage after cancer treatment—particularly radiation therapy. A patient story published by St. Luke’s University Health Network highlights how HBOT helped improve quality of life following radiation-related complications.
A Challenge After Successful Cancer Treatment
In the featured case, an 85-year-old patient underwent radiation therapy that successfully treated his cancer but resulted in damage to the surrounding soft tissue, including the salivary glands. This type of injury—commonly referred to as soft tissue radiation injury—can make eating and swallowing difficult and may lead to significant weight loss and swelling.
Radiation injuries occur because radiation can compromise blood flow and oxygen delivery to healthy tissue, impairing the body’s natural healing response.
Why Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Was Considered
HBOT involves breathing 100% oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, delivering oxygen at levels higher than what is possible under normal atmospheric conditions. According to clinicians at St. Luke’s, this increased oxygen availability supports healing by:
- Stimulating angiogenesis (the formation of new blood vessels)
- Increasing oxygen diffusion into damaged tissue
- Supporting tissue repair and regeneration
- Enhancing stem cell activity in affected areas
For patients with radiation damage, this mechanism can be especially beneficial because radiation often disrupts microcirculation and tissue oxygenation.
The Patient’s Experience With HBOT
The patient received hyperbaric oxygen therapy five days per week over several months. During this time, clinicians observed a reduction in swelling and gradual improvement in the patient’s ability to eat and drink. Weight stabilization and gradual weight gain followed.
Importantly, medical providers noted that the benefits of HBOT can continue even after treatment ends, as the healing processes initiated during therapy persist beyond the final session.
Broader Medical Uses of Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
In addition to radiation-related injuries, HBOT is used in a variety of medically recognized conditions, including:
- Non-healing wounds (such as certain diabetic foot ulcers)
- Severe soft tissue and bone infections
- Compromised skin grafts or flaps
- Gas gangrene and other acute ischemic conditions
- Air or gas embolisms
- Crush injuries
These indications are supported by guidelines from the Undersea and Hyperbaric Medical Society (UHMS) and align with FDA-approved uses.
A Quality-of-Life Impact
Beyond clinical measurements, the patient reported meaningful improvements in daily life—including returning to regular walks, eating more comfortably, and regaining lost weight. While HBOT is not a cure-all and may not fully reverse radiation damage, this case illustrates its potential to restore function, comfort, and independence after cancer treatment.
Source & Further Reading
This overview is based on a patient story originally published by St. Luke’s University Health Network.
👉 Read the original article here:
https://www.slhn.org/blog/2024/hyperbaric-oxygen-therapy-helps-cancer-patient
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