Department of Surgery, Division of Thoracic and Hyperbaric Surgery, University Medical School, Auenbruggerplatz 29A-8036 Graz, Austria. Department of Radiotherapy, University Medical School, Graz, Austria
|
This section has been maintained with minimal information - cancer outcomes vary - any person undertaking chemo and or radiotherapy is with knowledge that the objectives of treatment is to impact survival rates. It is a known fact that if you're general health and immune response are poorly then survival rates are jeopardised. Our focus is to assist and support those with this complex illness - we encourage all individuals and family members to do your due diligence on the subject. Simply Google Search - Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) and Cancer - you will discover a multitude of published papers supporting the multidisciplinary approach that incorporates Hyperbaric Oxygenation. HBOT is not a stand alone position and for that matter neither is chemotherapy. HBOT improves outcomes due to the fact that cancers do not thrive or replicate in elevated oxygen environments. Cancers thrive in hypoxic environments. Hypoxia promotes proliferation and spread!
Daruwalla, Christophi. World J Surg 2006 Dec;30(12):2112-31. Department of Surgery, University of Melbourne, Austin Hospital, Level 8 Lance Townsend Building, Austin Health, Studley Road, Heidelberg, Victoria, 3084 Australia. One unique feature of tumors is the presence of hypoxic regions, which occur predominantly at the tumor center. Hypoxia has a major impact on various aspects of tumor cell function and proliferation. Hypoxic tumor cells are relatively insensitive to conventional therapy owing to cellular adaptations effected by the hypoxic microenvironment. Recent efforts have aimed to alter the hypoxic state and to reverse these adaptations to improve treatment outcome. One way to increase tumor oxygen tensions is by hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. HBO therapy can influence the tumor microenvironment at several levels. It can alter tumor hypoxia, a potent stimulus that drives angiogenesis. Hyperoxia as a result of HBO also produces reactive oxygen species, which can damage tumors by inducing excessive oxidative stress. This review outlines the importance of oxygen to tumors and the mechanisms by which tumors survive under hypoxic conditions. It also presents data from both experimental and clinical studies for the effect of HBO on malignancy.
Medical Hypotheses, Volume 70, Issue 2, Pages 298-304 B. Peskin, M. Carter, 2009 AbstractWith the exception of melanoma and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma, the incidence of cancer has peaked in the last several years, but rates and mortality are still high. Moreover, despite 50 years of intensive cancer research increasingly focused on genetic causes, no single unifying cause for cancer has been established. Although it is well-known that tumors are hypoxic, and that there is a correlation between the level of hypoxia and prognosis, with the exception of Warburg’s studies, little work has been done to investigate the relationship between hypoxia and cancer. Over 70 years ago, Warburg showed that cells could always be made cancerous by subjecting them to periods of hypoxia. Moreover, he demonstrated that once cells had converted to a cancerous state, reversion could not occur. Modern biochemistry acknowledges that there is a switch from oxidative phosphorylation to glycolysis in tumors that might be concurrent with hypoxia, but does not address the cancer causation. It is our hypothesis that long-term hypoxia of cells in the body, measured in years, is the primary trigger for cancer. We believe that the hypoxia, which has to meet Warburg’s findings of a critical 35% reduction in intracellular oxygen levels to initiate cancer, is linked to the incorporation of adulterated, non-oxygenating, or inappropriate polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) into the phospholipids of cell and mitochondrial membranes. Such incorporation causes changes in membrane properties that impair oxygen transmission into the cell. Trans fats, partially oxidized PUFA entities, and inappropriate omega-6:omega-3 ratios are all potential sources of unsaturated fatty acids that can disrupt the normal membrane structure. In this paper, we explore this hypothesis by examining the evidence, and additionally propose an appropriate PUFA dosage for humans by analyzing requirements and taking into account current PUFA consumption patterns.
Florian Tomaselli, , Alfred Maier, Hans Pinter, Heidi Stranzl and Freyja Maria Smolle-Jüttner AbstractObjectives: Photodynamic tumor therapy (PDT) is based upon a photochemical reaction that is limited by the availability of molecular oxygen in the target tissue. The use of hyperbaric oxygenation (HBO) increases the amount of oxygen available for the process may thereby enhance the efficacy of PDT. We proved in a prospective, non-randomized clinical pilot study the acute effects on malignant bronchial stenosis and the technical feasibility of combined PDT/HBO. Methods: Forty patients (29 males, 11 females, mean age: 64.3 years; range 39–82 years) with inoperable, advanced malignant bronchial tumor stenosis were studied prospectively. Photosensitization was carried out using a hematoporphyrin-derivative 2 mg/kg bw 48 h prior to PDT. The light dose was calculated as 300 J/cm fiber tip. The assessment of outcome 1 and 4 weeks after PDT/HBO was done by endoscopy, chest X-ray, spirometry, laboratory parameters, subjective report of dyspnea and Karnofsky performance status. Results: At 1 and 4 weeks after the treatment the patients felt a significant improvement of dyspnea and hemoptysis alongside with an objective subsiding of poststenotic pneumonia, though spirometric parameters revealed no significant difference. A significant reduction of tumor stenosis (P<0.05) and an improvement of the Karnofsky performance status (P<0.05) were documented 1 and 4 weeks after PDT/HBO. No therapy related complications were observed. Conclusion: Although the small number of patients does not allow to draw definitive conclusions, the results suggest that combined PDT/HBO represents a new, safe and technically feasible approach. It enables efficient and rapid reduction of the endoluminal tumor load and helps conditioning the patient for further treatment procedures.
Standard treatment for glioblastomas includes radiation and chemotherapy with a drug called temozolomide (Temodar); however, glioblastomas frequently develop resistance to standard treatment and recur or progress. Glioblastomas are known to have decreased levels of oxygen compared to normal tissues. There is evidence that these lower oxygen levels in glioblastomas may contribute to their ability to resist treatment effects of radiation and chemotherapy. In this study we will look to increase the oxygen concentration within the glioblastoma by adding hyperbaric treatments (the experimental part of this study) to standard treatment with radiation and temozolomide in order to see whether increasing the oxygen concentration within the tumor increases the tumor-killing ability of standard radiation and chemotherapy. In addition, the investigators are interested to evaluate the effect of this treatment protocol on a person's quality of life and level of stress, and, therefore, the investigators will ask subjects to complete several brief questionnaires while they are on-study. Radiation therapy uses high-energy x-rays to damage tumor cells. Hyperbaric oxygen may increase the effectiveness of radiation therapy. Combining hyperbaric oxygen with radiation therapy may be an effective treatment for glioblastoma multiforme. PURPOSE: Phase I/II trial to study the effectiveness of combining radiation therapy with hyperbaric oxygen in treating patients who have newly diagnosed glioblastoma multiforme. This research is being done because we do not know the best treatment for advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head and Neck. These cancers have been treated with a combination of surgery, radiation and chemotherapy in varying combination. When the tumor is inoperable, radiation therapy is used with or without chemotherapy in the hope of curing the tumor. Recently, it has become recognized as generalized knowledge that cancer cells are hypoxic (low oxygen concentration). Because of the low oxygen concentrations, many cancer treatments have not been successful. The theory behind this study is to give oxygen to patients prior to chemotherapy and radiation in hopes of generating greater results in killing cancer cells. The purpose of this study has two main objectives. The primary objective is to determine patient tolerance to each arm of the trial. The second objective is to determine the feasibility of treatment delivery and acute toxicities associated with each regimen. It is our intention to undertake a randomized and controlled trial should this Phase I trial prove successful in terms of patient tolerance
Cancer can affect us all - family and friends. This section is dedicated to Dr Hooper's sister (Leearne) who recently passed away from progressive adenocarcinoma of the stomach. Leearne's tribute
HyperMED UPDATE - Inoperable Brain Tumor - Glioblastoma HyperMED UPDATE - Chordoma - Multiple Brain Tumors, Spinal Cord Tumour, Decompressive surgical complications |
.jpg)