A team of Australian researchers from Southern Cross University (SCU) and the Melbourne Integrative Oncology Group (MIOG) is preparing to launch a clinical trial aimed at determining whether hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) can safely assist patients receiving treatment for high-grade glioma—a particularly aggressive form of brain cancer.
The project has received a philanthropic contribution of one million Australian dollars from an anonymous donor. This collaborative study will explore whether delivering oxygen within a pressurized environment alongside active cancer treatment can enhance therapeutic outcomes, patient well-being, treatment tolerance, and recovery.
This marks the first trial of its kind in Australia and is believed to be a global first in examining the combination of mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy (set at 1.35 ATA, significantly lower than the pressure used in conventional hospital-based HBOT) with molecular hydrogen in an oncology context.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy involves breathing concentrated oxygen inside a pressurized chamber, which allows oxygen to dissolve more easily into the bloodstream and reach tissues that are typically deprived of adequate oxygen supply.
Solid tumors, including aggressive brain cancers, frequently exhibit hypoxia (low oxygen levels). Such a low-oxygen environment can increase cancer cells’ resistance to radiotherapy, hinder normal tissue repair, and promote more aggressive tumor behavior.
Since radiotherapy depends in part on oxygen-dependent processes to damage cancer cells, researchers have long theorized that improving tissue oxygenation might boost treatment effectiveness while also reducing side effects.
HBOT is already used in Australian hospitals to manage radiation-induced injuries, such as osteoradionecrosis (bone damage caused by radiation) and soft-tissue radionecrosis—the death of healthy tissue due to high-dose radiation. However, its use during active cancer treatment remains uncommon and is not currently part of routine cancer care.
This new study shifts the focus from post-treatment rehabilitation to potential supportive use during active therapy, addressing a notable gap in the existing evidence.
Whereas earlier oncology studies employed high-pressure medical HBOT (2–3 ATA), this trial will investigate mild hyperbaric therapy, which operates at lower pressure and may offer a different safety and tolerability profile.
Outside of oncology, mild HBOT has shown positive results for conditions such as poor circulation, sports-related tissue injuries, post-concussion syndromes, and Parkinson’s disease.
Professor Jon Wardle, Foundation Director of the National Centre for Naturopathic Medicine (NCNM) at Southern Cross University, stated that the study represents a meaningful advance in evidence-informed integrative oncology.
“As interest in therapies like hyperbaric oxygen continues to rise, it is crucial that we produce high-quality evidence to guide clinical decisions,” he said. “Collaborating with MIOG enables us to investigate HBOT in a real-world clinical setting while upholding rigorous academic and research standards.”