Oxygen equipment 'can protect against radiotherapy harm'
Oxygen equipment can be used to help protect against the damage caused to cancer patients who undergo radiotherapy, a medical expert has suggested.
Dr Phil Bryson, director of the Diving Diseases Research Centre in Plymouth, said the thinking behind treating people with hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO) is very logical, the Daily Mail reports.
The specialist noted the protein that controls cell growth and healing is dependent on oxygen.
"HBO delivers a huge amount in a short time and research shows it stimulates this protein to work more efficiently," he explained.
Dr Bryson claimed the technique can be of particular benefit to cancer survivors as radiotherapy damage is associated with the death of blood capillaries, which deliver oxygen to wounded areas.
Oxygen therapy was recently described by Dr William Rea as a perfectly safe practice and advised users to undergo the treatment for two hours a day at four to eight litres a minute.
Posted by Jenny Richards
15/09/2010 16:13:23
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