THE EFFECT OF HYPERBARIC-OXYGEN ON GROWTH AND CHEMOSENSITIVITY OF METASTATIC PROSTATE-CANCER

Background: Currently, advanced prostate cancer (CaP) is not curable. In this report hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is examined as an adjuvant to c hemotherapy and as a stand-alone treatment Materials and Methods: CaP cell monolayers grown under normoxic conditions were exposed to cispla tin, taxol or doxorubicin for 90 minutes under HBO (3.0 atmospheres, 1 00% O-2) or nomal pressure air. Results: HBO reduced by 47% the concen tration of doxorubicin required to produce a 20% reduction in cell num bes, bur did not change the concentration required to produce a >50% r eduction. HBO increased the sensitivity of PC-3 cells to taxol at all concentrations, (mean 1.8%). Cisplatin chemosensitivity was not affect ed by HBO. HBO reduced the growth rate of DU-145 8.1% relative to cont rol (p=0.01), and PC-3 2.7% (p=0.12). Conclusions: This study shows th at HBO can dea ease the rate of growth, and increase sensitivity to an ticancer agents, however, the effects are cell line dependent.