The effect of hyperbaric oxygen on growth and chemosensitivity of metastatic prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND

Currently, advanced prostate cancer (CaP) is not curable. In this report hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) is examined as an adjuvant to chemotherapy and as a stand-alone treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

CaP cell monolayers grown under normoxic conditions were exposed to cisplatin, taxol or doxorubicin for 90 minutes under HBO (3.0 atmospheres, 100% O2) or normal pressure air.

RESULTS

HBO reduced by 47% the concentration of doxorubicin required to produce a 20% reduction in cell numbers, but did not change the concentration required to produce a > 50% reduction. HBO increased the sensitivity of PC-3 cells to taxol at all concentrations, (mean 1.8%). Cisplatin chemosensitivity was not affected by HBO. HBO reduced the growth rate of DU-145 8.1% relative to control (p = 0.01), and PC-3 2.7% (p = 0.12).

CONCLUSIONS

This study shows that HBO can decrease the rate of growth, and increase sensitivity to anticancer agents, however, the effects are cell line dependent.