Radiation therapy is used to kill cancer cells, however, it may also cause short-term and sometimes long-term damage to nearby healthy tissue in up to 20% of patients. This is called “radiation tissue injury”. By helping the blood carry more oxygen to affected areas, hyperbaric oxygenation treatment (HBOT) is an effective therapy for radiation tissue injury. HBOT is an established non-invasive adjunct treatment that can form part of a cancer management plan. It has been used globally as such for over 40 years.
I have radiation burns from the radiation therapy I had for the last two years. Thankfully for the last fortnight it eased up and at one stage more or less ceased. My symptoms have stopped since starting to have sessions at OxyGeneration. It is a big relief as I have a few more issues to be solved but that was a big part of it
Client with Post radiation damage
How Hyperbaric Oxygen can help it?
Relief for Side Effects
HBOT may provide relief to the short-term side effects of radiation therapy such as pain, fatigue, headaches, nausea, infection, bleeding, inflammation, changes to bowel movements and incontinence. It can help the injured tissue recover, reduce swelling and discomfort and generally improve the patient’s quality of life. HBOT is an effective treatment for cancer related pain, damage and fatigue. Whether the damage or pain originated from radiation treatments, chemotherapy or surgery, patients that get HBOT often report profound relief.
Helps avoid further Surgery
Patients that receive HBOT are less likely to need follow up surgery for radiation tissue injury because HBOT can help the injured tissue heal by regenerating blood vessels and accelerating all stages of the healing process.
Late side-effects of Radiotherapy
HBOT is an effective treatment for patients recovering from late side effects of radiotherapy. It helps by stimulating the growth of new blood vessels following radiation-induced damage. HBOT is used to treat or prevent damage to the jaw-bone resulting from radiation treatment, and has also been effectively used to treat radiation-induced damage to the head, neck, chest wall, abdomen and pelvis. HBOT may prevent tooth loss or collapse of the jaw-bone in patients previously treated for head or neck cancers, and help stop persistent urinary bleeding (radiation cystitis) and rectum bleeding (radiation proctitis) in patients treated for prostate cancer, gynaecologic cancer or other cancers in the pelvic region.
Breast Cancer
Breast cancer patients have also reported reduced pain, breast and arm symptoms, and improved quality of life following treatment with HBOT. Many women have surgical reconstruction after a mastectomy and radiation therapy. These women are at higher risk of post-operative complications. Some women may develop open sores on their chest that take a long time to heal or will not heal due to prior radiation therapy and the resulting poor circulation. HBOT can help improve circulation in the radiated area and help reduce the likelihood of post-surgical complications. HBOT may promote successful skin grafts or flaps following reconstructive surgery for breast cancer patients.
Irish Life Health pays for private HBOT for certain types of radiation tissue injury.