Radio-induced lesion in normal tissues

Abstract

Late complications are one of the major factors limiting radiotherapy treatment, and their treatment is not codified. Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) has been used for over half a century in an attempt to treat late complications. This prompted European Society for Therapeutic Radiotherapy and Oncology and European Committee for Hyperbaric Medicine to organise a consensus conference in October 2001, dealing with the HBO indications on radiotherapy for the treatment and prevention of late complications. This updated literature review is part of the documents the jury based its opinion on. Despite the small number of controlled trials, HBO may be indicated for the treatment of mandibular osteoradionecrosis in combination with surgery, haemorrhagic cystitis resistant to conventional treatments and the prevention of osteoradionecrosis after dental extraction, whose level of evidence seems to be the most significant though randomised trials are still necessary