EFFECT OF HYPERBARIC OXYGENATION ON EXISTING ORAL MUCOSAL CARCINOMA

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (PPO) is used to treat some complications of head and neck carcinoma treatment. Several patients treated with HBO have had rapid growth of a clinically cured squamous cell carcinoma Pr ior studies have produced conflicting evidence about the effect of HBO on tumor growth, This study was undertaken to determine the effects o f HBO on established squamous cell carcinoma. Forty Golden Syrian hams ter cheek-pouch carcinomas were induced with the established chemical carcinogen 9,10-dimethyl-1,2-benzanthracene. Twenty hamsters underwent 30 HBO dives for 60 minutes each to 2.81 atm, while 20 served as cont rols, At necropsy, animals receiving HBO therapy had significantly sma ller tumors (P<.05) and showed a trend toward fewer cervical metastase s (P<.06). HBO therapy with coexistent carcinoma inhibited the establi shed tumor's growth.