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Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2004 June; 1(1): 93–98.
PMCID: PMC442111
Ozone Therapy for Tumor Oxygenation: a Pilot Study
Bernardino Clavo,1,5 Juan L. Pérez,2,5 Laura López,1,5 Gerardo Suárez,1,5 Marta Lloret,1,5 Victor Rodríguez,3 David Macías,2,5 Maite Santana,1 María A. Hernández,1,5 Roberto Martín-Oliva,2 and Francisco Robaina4,5
1Radiation Oncology and Research Unit, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain
2Medical Physics, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain
3La Paterna Medical Center, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain
4Chronic Pain Unit, Dr Negrín Hospital, Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain
5Canary Islands Institute for Cancer Research (ICIC), Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain
For reprints and all correspondence: Bernardino Clavo, Department of Radiation Oncology and Research Unit, Dr Negrín Hospital, C/ Barranco la Ballena s/n, 35020 Las Palmas (Canary Islands), Spain. Fax: (+34) 928 449127; Tel: (+34) 928 450284. E-mail: bernardinoclavo/at/terra.es
Received November 17, 2003; Accepted February 4, 2004.
Abstract
Tumor hypoxia is an adverse factor for chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Ozone therapy is a non-conventional form of medicine that has been used successfully in the treatment of ischemic disorders. This prospective study was designed to assess the effect of ozone therapy on tumor oxygenation. Eighteen subjects were recruited for the study. Systemic ozone therapy was administered by autohemotransfusion on three alternate days over one week. Tumor oxygenation levels were measured using polarographic needle probes before and after the first and the third ozone therapy session. Overall, no statistically significant change was observed in the tumor oxygenation in the 18 patients. However, a significant decrease was observed in hypoxic values ≤10 and ≤5 mmHg of pO2. When individually assessed, a significant and inverse non-linear correlation was observed between increase in oxygenation and the initial tumor pO2 values at each measuring time-point, thus indicating that the more poorly-oxygenated tumors benefited most (rho = −0.725; P = 0.001). Additionally, the effect of ozone therapy was found to be lower in patients with higher hemoglobin concentrations (rho = −0.531; P < 0.034). Despite being administered over a very short period, ozone therapy improved oxygenation in the most hypoxic tumors. Ozone therapy as adjuvant in chemo-radiotherapy warrants further research.
Keywords: cancer, hypoxia, pO2 measurement, polarographic probe