High-Pressure Hydrogen Therapy Unexpectedly Promotes Cancer Growth in Mice
Hyperbaric hydrogen therapy: A possible treatment for cancer
Research hubs: Skin & Dermatology System
This research was done in animals. Results in animals often don't carry over to people.
- Evidence type
- Animal study (mouse)
- Authors
- Malcolm Dole, F. Ray Wilson, William P. Fife
- Journal
- Science
- Year
- 1975
- PMID
- 1166304
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Delivery
- Gas
- Dose
- 2.5% oxygen and 97.5% hydrogen at 8 atmospheres pressure for up to 2 weeks
- H₂ concentration
- 97.5% H2 gas
- Duration
- 2 weeks
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 372 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- United States
TL;DR
Breathing a high-pressure mix of hydrogen and oxygen shrank skin tumors in bald, white mice.
Key Finding
Hyperbaric hydrogen therapy at 97.5% hydrogen caused tumors to grow more aggressively in mice, contrary to the hypothesis that hydrogen would reduce tumor growth.
Summary
Researchers exposed mice with skin cancer to a high-pressure mixture of mostly hydrogen gas to test whether hydrogen's ability to neutralize harmful molecules (called free radicals) might shrink tumors. Unexpectedly, the tumors actually grew more aggressively rather than shrinking, which was the opposite of what the researchers predicted.
Practical Takeaway
This is an early-stage mouse study with unexpected results that contradict the original hypothesis, so it does not support using hyperbaric hydrogen as a cancer treatment. The findings were surprising and require much more research, including human studies, before any conclusions can be drawn about safety or effectiveness in people.
Abstract (excerpt)
Hairless albino mice with squamous cell carcinoma were exposed to a mixture of 2.5 percent oxygen and 97.5 percent hydrogen at a total pressure of 8 atmospheres for periods up to 2 weeks in order to see if a free radical decay catalyzer, such as hydrogen, would cause a regression of the skin…