Complications of Bladder Radiation

Treating Bladder Tumors

Treating bladder tumors with radiation can result in surrounding tissue death (necrosis). But because radiation injury doesn’t appear immediately after treatment, it’s late delayed reactions can often stump doctors. They may suspect that the bladder tumor has recurred or spread, or that the patient has a new malignant growth. For these reasons, radiation necrosis can be troublesome to diagnose accurately. Increasingly, researchers believe that the progressive tissue damage could be caused by radiation-induced long-lived free radicals, excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS). Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can address this type of damage and begin healing irradiated tissue.

This AMA and FDA approved Treatment for Radiation Injury is now available in Palm Harbor, Florida.

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy can effectively treat radiation-induced tissue death. Several studies support this. The most favorable outcomes occurred with a minimum of 30 treatments, but it didn’t matter whether patients had these three, seven or more times weekly.

How does Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy work?

HBOT…

• Inhibits production of toxins
• Oxygenates tissues, helping to preserve and repair capillary beds
• Helps produce superoxide dismutase (SOD), an antioxidant that reduces free radicals and decreases inflammation and pain
• Promotes development of blood vessels into irradiated tissue

This revascularization restores oxygenation of irradiated tissue to 80% of normal. Studies indicate this significant blood vessel repair is permanent.

HBOT can successfully resolve radiation necrosis symptoms in up to 75% of patients.