Early diagnosis and conventional treatments as well as prophylactic therapies such as hyperbaric oxygen therapy now allow better survival odds and longer life expectancy for women with breast cancer.

Tumor does not like oxygen and its growth is slowed down in well oxygenated tissues. On the contrary, conventional cancer therapies such as radiation are only partly (about one third!) successful in poor oxygenated tissue. Therefore in rehabilitation after conventional surgical and radiation therapy a commonly used method to remedy hypoxic tissues has been hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT). HBOT is also effective in healing the post radiation damage (wounds caused by radiation).

Approximately one-third of women who have had surgery (lumpectomy) and radiation treatment for breast cancer develop complications such as painful swelling of the arms and hands (lymphoedema) that can lead to disability. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy is used to restore tissue oxygen levels, reduce swelling, promoting the microcirculation (blood and lymphatic) and in turn improve healing of radiation wounds, control infection, reduce pain as well as boost the immune system and increase stem cells in circulation.  The mobilization of stem cells by hyperbaric oxygen shows promising results for cancer patients. In 2005 dr. Stephen Thom showed that one 90 minute hyperbaric oxygen sessions in oxygen flow chambers doubles the number of stem cells in the blood and 20 sessions increase the number to eight fold.

First controlled clinical studies in Germany found that in 32 out of 44 women who received surgery and radiation for breast cancer with lymphoedema showed improvement with HBOT. Significant reduction in pain and in average of 25% but as much as 40% of swelling can be reduced with timely hyperbaric oxygen therapy.