Key clinical point: Women who received adjuvant radiotherapy for breast cancer (BC) reported a significant reduction in pain and fibrosis upon completing hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT).
Major finding: Only 25% of women accepted and completed HBOT treatment. A smaller proportion of women who completed HBOT vs those who would have completed HBOT if offered reported moderate or severe pain in breast, chest wall, or shoulder (32% vs 75%; adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 0.34; P = .01) and moderate or severe fibrosis (17% vs 86%; aOR 0.14; P = .001).
Study details: Findings are from the phase 3 HONEY trial which included 189 women with invasive BC or ductal carcinoma in situ who reported late local toxic effects after adjuvant radiotherapy and were randomly assigned to receive HBOT (n = 125) or usual follow-up care (n = 61) .
Disclosures: This study was partially funded by The Da Vinci Clinic, the Netherlands. The authors declared no conflicts of interest.
Source: Mink van der Molen DR, Batenburg MCT, Maarse W, et al. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy and late local toxic effects in patients with irradiated breast cancer: A randomized clinical trial. JAMA Oncol. 2024 (Feb 8). doi: 10.1001/jamaoncol.2023.6776 Source