Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for late sequelae in women receiving radiation after breast-conserving surgery

Purpose: Persisting symptomatology after breast-conserving surgery and radi ation is frequently reported. In most cases, symptoms in the breast resolve without further treatment. In some instances, however, pain, erythema, and edema can persist for years and can impact the patient's quality of life. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy was shown to be effective as treatment for late r adiation sequelae, The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy o f hyperbaric oxygen therapy in symptomatic patients after breast cancer tre atment. Patients and Methods: Forty-four patients with persisting symptomatology af ter breast-conservation therapy were prospectively observed. Thirty-two wom en received hyperbaric oxygen therapy in a multiplace chamber for a median of 25 sessions (range, 7-60), One hundred percent oxygen was delivered at 2 40 kPa for 90-min sessions, 5 times per week. Twelve control patients recei ved no further treatment. Changes throughout the irradiated breast tissue w ere scored prior to and after hyperbaric oxygen therapy using modified LENT -SOMA criteria, Results: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy patients showed a significant reduction of pain, edema, and erythema scores as compared to untreated controls (p < 0.001). Fibrosis and telangiectasia, however, were not significantly affect ed by hyperbaric oxygen therapy. Seven of 32 women were free of symptoms af ter hyperbaric oxygen therapy, whereas all 12 patients in the control group had persisting complaints. Conclusions: Hyperbaric oxygen therapy should be considered as a treatment option for patients with persisting symptomatology following breast-conserv ing therapy. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Inc.