Research on outcome and safety of hyperbaric oxygen therapy for radiation dermatitis in breast cancer

This prospective study evaluated the effect of hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) on radiation dermatitis (RD) during postoperative radiotherapy after modified radical mastectomy for breast cancer, and compared the incidence of related adverse events. From December 2023 to December 2024, 300 breast cancer patients treated at the Radiation Oncology Center of Tangshan People’s Hospital were enrolled and randomly assigned equally to a control group and an experimental group. The control group received standard interventions for acute RD, while the experimental group received HBOT in addition to the standard care. Starting from the beginning of radiotherapy, patients were followed for 12 weeks (recorded as W1–W12). The primary outcome was grade of acute RD; secondary outcomes included numerical rating scale (NRS) scores, dermatology life quality index (DLQI), Skindex-29, and incidence of adverse events. Repeated-measures ANOVA and chi-square tests were used to compare the outcomes above. During follow-up, time effects, group effects, and interactions for acute RD grade were all significant (all p 8–W12 (all p p > 0.05). For DLQI, time effects, group effects, and interactions were significant (all p 8–W12 (all p p 8–W12 (all p 12, the difference in adverse event incidence between the two groups was not significant (χ2 = 0.410, p = 0.522). HBOT demonstrated a favorable therapeutic effect on acute RD in breast cancer patients and an acceptable safety profile for clinical use, indicating potential value for clinical application and wider adoption.