Hydrogen Gas Protects Cancer Patients from Radiation Side Effects
- Authors
- Shin-Ichi Hirano, Yukimasa Aoki, Ryosuke Kurokawa, Xiao-Kang Li, Naotsugu Ichimaru, Shiro Takahara, Yoshiyasu Takefuji
- Journal
- SSRN Electronic Journal
- Year
- 2019
- DOI
- 10.2139/ssrn.3349228
- Study Type
- Human
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Hematologic
TL;DR
Inhaling hydrogen gas can help reduce bone marrow damage in cancer patients undergoing a type of precise radiation therapy without affecting the treatment's ability to fight tumors.
Key Finding
Cancer patients who inhaled hydrogen gas after radiation therapy maintained significantly higher white blood cell and platelet counts compared to those who did not receive hydrogen gas, without reducing the effectiveness of cancer treatment.
Summary
This study looked at whether inhaling hydrogen gas could protect bone marrow (the tissue that makes blood cells) from damage caused by radiation therapy in cancer patients. Sixteen cancer patients received hydrogen gas treatment after each radiation session, while seven others received standard care. The hydrogen gas group maintained better levels of white blood cells and platelets (cells important for fighting infection and blood clotting) compared to the control group, and the cancer-fighting effects of radiation remained the same in both groups.
Practical Takeaway
This small human study suggests hydrogen gas inhalation may help protect blood cell counts during cancer radiation therapy, but the findings come from a limited number of patients (16 in the hydrogen group) and lack details about study duration and long-term effects. More research with larger patient groups is needed before hydrogen gas can be recommended as a standard protective treatment alongside radiation therapy.
Abstract
Abstract: Background: Radiotherapy for cancer patients is one of the useful methods; however, it not only impairs the targeted tumor tissues but also damage the normal surrounding tissues. Intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) for cancer patients has been recently performed to alleviate the adverse effects, but reducing bone marrow damage is limited in the patients with multiple tumor lesions and large irradiation volume. Molecular hydrogen (H2) was recently reported as a preventive and therapeutic antioxidant that selectively scavenges hydroxy radical (*OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-). This observational study aims to examine whether H2 gas treatment improves IMRT radiation-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients. Methods: The patients with end stage of cancer were received IMRT once per day for 1 to 4 weeks except Saturday and Sunday. After each IMRT, the patients of control group (n = 7) were housed in health care chamber (HCC, mild hyperbaric oxygen chamber) for 30 minutes, and the patients of H2 group (n = 16) were also housed in HCC and received 5% H2 gas for 30 minutes once per day. Radiation-induced bone marrow damage was evaluated by hematological examination of peripheral blood obtained before and after IMRT. Results: IMRT with HCC therapy significantly reduced white blood cells (WBC) and platelets (PLT) respectively, but not red blood cells (RBC), hemoglobin (HGB) and hematocrit (HT). In contrast, H2 gas treatment significantly alleviates reducing effects of WBC and PLT respectively. There was no difference in anti-tumor effects between the two groups. Interpretation: Our study demonstrated that H2 gas inhalation therapy significantly alleviates IMRT radiation-induced bone marrow damage without compromising anti-tumor effects. These results suggest that H2 gas treatment would be a strategy for reducing IMRT bone marrow damage in cancer patients.