Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for late radiation tissue injury in gynaecological patients

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Supportive Care in Cancer Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Background

Pelvic radiation therapy is an important element of curative therapy for gynaecological cancers. Serious radiation-related complications developing months or years after treatment are known as late radiation tissue injury (LRTI).

Methods

We investigated the possible pain reducing effect of hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) in a study of 16 patients with LRTI after radiation for gynaecological malignancy. The 16 patients were registered prospectively, underwent HBOT for 21 consecutive days and were followed for a 6-month period after treatment using the Brief Pain Inventory, Montgomery and Aasberg Depression Rating Scale, as well as registration of global patient scores, analgesic consumption and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings.

Results

HBOT was shown to have insignificant effect on pain, pain characteristics, daily function, the use of analgesics and MRI-related tissue injury. Fifty percent of the patients still reported some or good effect of the treatment.

Conclusion

It is not possible to conclude from our study if gynaecological patients with pelvic pain will benefit from HBOT. The application of HBOT to selected patients may be justified, but further research with adequate sample size, as well as the timing of HBOT related to the development of LRTI, is required to establish the optimum patient selection.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Rubin P, Casarrett GW (1968) Clinical Radiation Pathology. Vol. 1. Saunders, Philadelphia, pp 58–61

    Google Scholar 

  2. Stone HB, Coleman CN, Anscher MS, McBride WH (2003) Effetcs of radiation on normal tissues: consequences and mechanisms. Lancet Oncol 4(9):711–728. doi:10.1016/S1470-2045(03)01191-4

    Article  Google Scholar 

  3. Thompson IM, Middleton RG, Optenberg SA, Austenfeld MS, Smalley SR, Cooner WH, Correa RJ, Miller HC Jr, Oesterling JE, Resnick MI, Wasson JH, Cg R (1999) Have compliacation rates decreased after treatment for localized prostate cancer? J Urol 162(1):107–112. doi:10.1097/00005392-199907000-00026

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Waddell BE, Rodriguez-Bigas MA, Lee RJ, Weber TK, Petrelli NJ (1999) Prevention of chronic radiation enteritis. J Am Coll Surg 189(6):611–624. doi:10.1016/S1072-7515(99)00199-4

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Cleeland CS (1985) Measurement and prevalence of pain in cancer. Semin Oncol Nurs 1(2):87–92. doi:10.1016/S0749-2081(85) 80041-3

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Klepstad P, Loge JH, Borchgrevink PC et al (2002) The Norwegian brief pain inventory questionnaire: translation and validation in cancer pain patients. J Pain Symptom Manage 24(5):517–525. doi:10.1016/S0885-3924(02)00526-2

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Montgomery SA, Aasberg M (1979) A new depression scale designed to be sensitive to change. Br J Psychiatry 134:382–389

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Gray LH, Conger AD, Ebert M, Hornsey S, Scott OC (1953) The concentration of oxygen dissolved in tissues at the time of irradiation as a factor in radiotherapy. Br J Radiol 26(312):638–648

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Churchill-Davidson I, Sanger C, Thomlinson RH (1955) High-pressure oxygen and radiotherapy. Lancet 268(6874):1091–1095. doi:10.1016/S0140-6736(55)90589-4

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Rubin P (1984) Late effects of chemotherapy and radiation therapy: a new hypothesis. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 10(1):5–34

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Williamson RA (2007) An experimental study of the use of hyperbaric oxygen to reduce the side effects of radiation treatment for malignant disease. Int J Oral Maxillofac Surg 36(6):533–540. doi:10.1016/j.ijom.2007.03.003

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Leach RM, Rees PJ, Wilmshurst P (1998) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy. BMJ 317(7166):1140–1143

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Pasquier D, Hoelscher T, Schmutz J, Dische S, Mathieu D, Baumann M, Lartigau E (2004) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy in the treatment of radio-induced lesions in normal tissues: a literature review. Radiother Oncol 72(1):1–13. doi:10.1016/j.radonc.2004.04.005

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Bennett MH, Feldmeier J, Hampson N, Smee R, Milross C (2005) Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for late radiation tissue injury. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 20(3):CD005005

    Google Scholar 

  15. Safra T, Gutman G, Fishlev G et al (2008) Improved quality of life with hyperbaric oxygen therapy in patients with persistent pelvic radiation. Clin Oncol 20(4):284–287. doi:10.1016/j.clon.2007.12.005

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Bennet M, Feldmeier J, Smee R, Milross C (2008) Hyperbaric oxygenation for tumour sensitisation to radiotherapy: A systemtic review of randomised controlled trials. Cancer Treat Rev 34(7):577–591. doi:10.1016/j.ctrv.2008.01.001

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Wang P, Yuan C, Lai C, Chao H, Tseng J, Chiang H, Lee W, Lee S, Ng H (1999) Rapid progression of squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix after hyperbaric oxygenation. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 82(1):89–91. doi:10.1016/S0301-2115(98)00168-7

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Feldmeier JJ, Heimbach RD, Davolt DA, Mj B, Sheffield PJ, Porter AT (1994) Does hyperbaric oxygen have a cancer-causing or–promoting effect? A review of pertinent literature. Undersea Hyperb Med 21(4):467–475

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Blomlie V, Rofstad EK, Talle K, Sundfør K, Winderen M, Lien HH (1996) Incidence of radiation-induced insufficiency fractures of the female pelvis: evaluation with MR imaging. AJR Am J Roentgenol 167(5):1205–1210

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Rikshospitalet, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    A. Kongsgaard Rud

  2. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Rikshospitalet, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    S. Bjørgo

  3. Department of Gynaecology, Rikshospitalet, The Norwegian Radium Hospital, Oslo, Norway

    G. B. Kristensen

  4. Department of Anaesthesiology and Intensive Care Medicine AND Medical Faculty, University of Oslo, Rikshospitalet, Oslo, Norway

    U. E. Kongsgaard

Authors
  1. A. Kongsgaard Rud
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. S. Bjørgo
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. G. B. Kristensen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. U. E. Kongsgaard
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to U. E. Kongsgaard.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rud, A.K., Bjørgo, S., Kristensen, G.B. et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for late radiation tissue injury in gynaecological patients. Support Care Cancer 17, 1517–1521 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0619-1

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00520-009-0619-1

Keywords

Search

Navigation