Hydrogen Gas Inhalation and Radiation-Induced Bone Marrow DamageScientific Research

Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Side Effects of Radiation Therapy

Hydrogen therapy helps reduce bone marrow damage caused by radiation therapy. This is according to a study conducted at a clinic in Tokyo, Japan, among patients with advanced cancer. These patients received a special type of radiation therapy called Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy (IMRT).

This type of radiation therapy treats tumors more precisely compared to traditional methods. However, it can potentially damage the bone marrow, where blood cells are produced. This damage can lead to a decrease in important blood cells such as white blood cells and platelets.

Patients consented to treatment and the sharing of their information for the study. It was approved by an ethics committee and included 23 patients, divided into two groups. The first group included 16 patients who underwent hydrogen inhalation after each radiation therapy session.

The second group, with 7 patients, received standard oxygen therapy in a special chamber where pressure and oxygen levels were controlled. The hydrogen therapy group inhaled 5% hydrogen mixed with air for 30 minutes after radiation therapy, while the control group received regular air in the chamber.

The period of hydrogen therapy lasted from 1 to 4 weeks, depending on the patient’s treatment plan. Blood samples were taken from all patients before and after the therapy to measure levels of red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. These measurements helped researchers understand how damaged the bone marrow was and whether hydrogen therapy had a positive effect.

The results showed that patients who inhaled hydrogen had less bone marrow damage compared to those who received standard oxygen therapy. In the hydrogen group, white blood cell and platelet levels were better maintained.

In the control group, which did not receive hydrogen therapy, the levels of these blood cells significantly dropped after radiation therapy. However, in the hydrogen group, the drop was much less pronounced, indicating that hydrogen therapy protects the bone marrow from damage and thus reduces the side effects of radiation therapy.

At the same time, hydrogen therapy did not reduce the ability of radiation therapy to target and shrink tumors. Both groups showed similar responses to cancer treatment, indicating that hydrogen did not diminish the effectiveness of radiation therapy.

Hydrogen Therapy – an alternative for patients facing critical conditions

Inhaling hydrogen after each radiation therapy session can help patients maintain healthier levels of blood cells, reducing the risk of infections and bleeding. This new approach can improve the overall health and recovery of these patients, making radiation therapy safer and more effective.

Although further research with more patients is needed to confirm these findings, the initial results are very promising. Hydrogen therapy has the potential to become a standard part of cancer treatment, helping many patients avoid some of the serious side effects of radiation therapy.


The Original Article:

original title: Protective effects of hydrogen gas inhalation on radiation-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients: a retrospective observational study

DOI: 10.4103/2045-9912.314329

Published on: 2021


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Abstract:

Although intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been developed as an alternative to conventional radiotherapy, reducing bone marrow damage is limited. Thus, a novel technology is needed to further mitigate IMRT-induced bone marrow damage. Molecular hydrogen (H2) was recently reported as a preventive and therapeutic antioxidant that selectively scavenges hydroxyl radical (·OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-). This observational study aimed to examine whether H2 gas treatment improves IMRT-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients. The study was performed at Clinic C4 in Tokyo, Japan between May 2015 and November 2016. During this period, all enrolled patients received IMRT once per day for 1 to 4 weeks. After each time of IMRT, the patients of control group (n = 7, 3 men and 4 women, age range: 26-70 years) received mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy in health care chamber for 30 minutes, and the patients of H2 group (n = 16, 8 men and 8 women, age range: 35-82 years) received 5% H2 gas in health care chamber for 30 minutes once per day. Radiation-induced bone marrow damage was evaluated by hematological examination of peripheral blood obtained before and after IMRT, and the data were expressed by the ratio after to before treatment. The total number of radiation times and total exposure doses of radiation were similar between the control and H2 groups. IMRT with health care chamber therapy significantly reduced white blood cells and platelets, but not red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit. In contrast, H2 gas treatment significantly alleviates the reducing effects of white blood cells and platelets (P = 0.0011 and P = 0.0275, respectively). Tumor responses to IMRT were similar between the two groups. The results obtained demonstrated that H2 gas inhalation therapy alleviated IMRT-induced bone marrow damage without compromising the anti-tumor effects of IMRT. The present study suggests that this novel approach of H2 gas inhalation therapy may be applicable to IMRT-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients. The study protocol was approved by an Ethics Committee Review of Tokyo Clinic and Research Institute ICVS Incorporated (Tokyo, Japan) on February 1, 2019, and was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN ID: UMIN000035864) on February 20, 2019.

Authors:

Naotsugu Ichimaru, Shin-Ichi Hirano, Shiro Takahara, Xiao-Kang Li, Yoshiyasu Takefuji, Yukimasa Aoki

Institutions:
Original Publication
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