October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month—a time to not only focus on early detection and treatment, but also on improving quality of life for survivors. Many women experience long-term side effects after radiation or reconstructive surgery, including pain, swelling, tissue damage, and limited mobility.
Recent research highlights how Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) can help.
Tumor Growth and Metastasis
Although research is ongoing, evidence is mounting that HBOT in combination with a ketogenic diet is an effective approach to addressing cancer metabolically. Some of these recent studies showed slowed tumor growth, reduced metastasis, and lowered expression of invasive markers, anti-malignant effects and reduced fibrosis.
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28832662
https://bora.uib.no/bora-xmlui/handle/1956/12908
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37114827
Easing Pain and Fibrosis After Radiation
A 2023 randomized clinical trial in the Netherlands studied nearly 190 breast cancer survivors with pain, swelling, and tissue fibrosis after radiation. Women who completed HBOT (30–40 sessions) reported significant improvements in both pain and tissue softness, showing that HBOT can be a meaningful therapy for late radiation side effects (JAMA Oncology, 2023).
Improving Quality of Life
Another 2022 Dutch cohort study of over 1,000 patients with radiation-related problems found that HBOT was linked to less pain, fewer breast and arm symptoms, and better overall quality of life—benefits that lasted even after treatment ended (PubMed, 2022).
Supporting Reconstruction Outcomes
In women undergoing breast reconstruction after radiation, HBOT has also been shown to reduce complications and improve healing by restoring oxygen to damaged tissue (PubMed, 2021).
HBOT isn’t experimental—it’s an FDA-approved therapy for radiation tissue damage. For breast cancer survivors, it offers a safe and effective way to:
Relieve chronic pain
Reduce swelling and fibrosis
Improve shoulder mobility
Enhance wound healing and surgical outcomes
Boost overall quality of life
Takeaway: For many women, HBOT is helping to restore not just their health, but also their daily comfort and confidence—long after cancer treatment ends.