Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy for Radiation Damage: Healing Osteoradionecrosis and Soft Tissue Injuries After Cancer Treatment

Understanding Radiation Damage: The Late Effects Radiation Therapy Can Cause

Radiation therapy is a powerful tool in fighting cancer, but it doesn't distinguish perfectly between cancerous and healthy cells. While killing tumor cells, radiation also damages blood vessels in surrounding tissues. This vascular damage creates a ripple effect:

• Reduced blood flow to the affected area

• Decreased oxygen delivery to healthy cells

• Impaired healing capacity

• Progressive tissue breakdown over time

These late effects of radiation therapy can emerge months or years after treatment concludes. The tissue becomes "hypoxic" (oxygen-starved) and "hypovascular" (lacking adequate blood supply), creating a chronic condition that struggles to heal on its own.

Osteoradionecrosis Treatment: When Radiation Damages Bone

Osteoradionecrosis (ORN) represents one of the most challenging complications of head and neck cancer treatment. This condition occurs when irradiated bone tissue—most commonly in the jaw—dies due to compromised blood supply.

Patients with osteoradionecrosis experience:

• Severe pain in the jaw or affected bone

• Exposed bone visible through the gum or skin

• Difficulty eating, speaking, or swallowing

• Chronic infections that don't respond to antibiotics

• Non-healing wounds following dental work or surgery

• Progressive bone deterioration

ORN typically develops after dental extractions or spontaneously in heavily irradiated areas. Traditional treatments often prove inadequate, leaving patients with limited options and diminishing quality of life.

Soft Tissue Radiation Injuries Beyond the Bone

Radiation necrosis doesn't only affect bone. Cancer survivors may develop chronic soft tissue injuries including:

Radiation cystitis: Bladder inflammation and bleeding following pelvic radiation for prostate, bladder, cervical, or rectal cancers.

Radiation proctitis: Rectal damage causing bleeding, pain, and bowel dysfunction after pelvic radiation.

Soft tissue necrosis: Non-healing wounds in areas previously treated with radiation, particularly after surgery or trauma.

Radiation-induced chest wall damage: Following breast cancer treatment, causing pain and tissue breakdown.

These conditions share a common mechanism: radiation-damaged blood vessels can no longer adequately nourish the affected tissues.

How Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Promotes Post-Radiation Healing

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy addresses the root cause of radiation damage treatment challenges—the lack of oxygen delivery to damaged tissues.

During HBOT sessions, patients breathe 100% oxygen while inside a pressurized chamber. This combination delivers oxygen levels 10-15 times higher than normal breathing, which triggers multiple healing mechanisms:

Angiogenesis: HBOT stimulates the growth of new blood vessels in irradiated tissue, re-establishing blood flow to oxygen-starved areas.

Enhanced oxygen delivery: Super-oxygenated blood plasma can reach damaged tissues even through compromised vascular systems.

Reduced inflammation: High oxygen concentrations reduce swelling and promote tissue repair.

Infection control: Oxygen-rich environments inhibit bacterial growth and enhance immune function.

Stem cell mobilization: HBOT encourages the body to release stem cells that contribute to tissue regeneration.

For osteoradionecrosis treatment specifically, HBOT can reverse the bone death process when applied early enough. Studies show significant improvement in pain, healing rates, and quality of life for patients receiving hyperbaric oxygen therapy.

Insurance Coverage for Radiation Damage Treatment

Here's important news for cancer survivors: radiation necrosis HBOT is a Medicare-covered indication. Most insurance plans, including Medicare and private insurance, recognize HBOT as medically necessary treatment for:

• Osteoradionecrosis of the jaw

• Soft tissue radiation necrosis

• Radiation cystitis

• Radiation proctitis

This means that unlike some hyperbaric treatments, radiation damage therapy is typically covered by insurance when medically appropriate, reducing financial barriers to accessing this life-changing treatment.

What to Expect During Treatment

HBOT protocols for radiation damage typically involve:

• 30-60 treatment sessions depending on severity

• Daily or near-daily 90-120 minute sessions

• Gradual improvement over the treatment course

• Coordination with your oncology team and specialists

• Possible preventive treatment before dental surgery or procedures in irradiated areas

Many patients report decreased pain and improved function within the first 10-20 sessions, with continued improvement throughout the treatment course.

Reclaim Your Quality of Life After Cancer

If you're struggling with painful late effects from radiation therapy, you don't have to accept this as your new normal. Radiation damage treatment through hyperbaric oxygen therapy offers real hope for healing.

NorCal Hyperbaric Center works closely with oncologists, radiation oncologists, oral surgeons, and cancer treatment centers throughout the Bay Area. We understand the unique challenges cancer survivors face and provide compassionate, evidence-based care.

Contact us today at (925) 687-9447 to discuss whether HBOT could help your post-radiation healing. Our team will verify your insurance coverage and work with your medical team to develop a personalized treatment plan.

You've already fought hard to beat cancer. Let us help you heal from its treatment.