Oxygen, classified

A tumor grows faster than its blood supply can keep up. It stimulates the formation of new blood vessels, but these become crooked, leaky, and unevenly distributed. Oxygen is scarce in the spaces between them – and in this state of oxygen deprivation, tumor cells do indeed become more problematic: they switch to fermentation, they become more mobile, and they respond less well to radiation. So far, everything you read about it is correct.

Where the ending tips over

The popular conclusion is: if oxygen deficiency strengthens the tumor, then more oxygen weakens it. But for this to work, the oxygen would have to reach the areas where it's lacking—and that's precisely what it doesn't, because the blood vessels don't reach those areas. You can saturate the blood with oxygen until it can't anymore, and the oxygen-deprived areas within the tumor will remain oxygen-deprived. This isn't an argument against oxygen. It's the reason why everything that has truly been studied in this area takes place in a specific setting: under pressure, in a clinical environment, in conjunction with radiation therapy. That's what the next chapter is about.

And one misunderstanding needs to be cleared up right here: Cancer is not caused by a lack of oxygen. The deficiency develops in the tumor after it has formed. The order is reversed, as is so often the case in this field.

Radiation therapy sometimes leaves behind damage that only becomes apparent months or years later: tissue that is no longer properly supplied with blood, bone in the jaw that doesn't heal after a tooth extraction, a rectum that bleeds. The hyperbaric chamber has been studied specifically for these long-term effects – and it has something to offer.

What the review says

In cases of late radiation effects affecting the head, neck, and rectum, hyperbaric chamber therapy yielded better results. Tissue healing in the jawbone was more frequent, post-operative wound complications were less common, and tooth sockets healed more readily after extractions in the irradiated area. The evidence is moderate to weak – the studies were small, with few participants, and reported almost no side effects. The chamber offered no benefit for nerve damage.

What she is not

It is not a cancer treatment. There is an older line of research that sought to use the oxygen in the chamber to treat tumors. during radiation Making it more sensitive - that is the only place where „oxygen against cancer“ has ever been seriously tested, and it is a question of radiation therapy, not self-help.

If someone gives you a hyperbaric chamber against the tumor If he offers you a different procedure with a different package insert, he'll sell you one with different instructions. If you experience late effects after radiation therapy, ask your team about the chamber – that's what it's for.

Intermittent hypoxia, "altitude training"„

During sessions, you breathe alternating bursts of oxygen-poor and oxygen-rich air through a mask. The idea is that this alternation trains the mitochondria, the powerhouses of the cells. There are studies on this in athletes and people with heart failure—small studies with mixed results. There are no studies on cancer. What some websites claim "proven to increase mitochondrial function" comes from these other contexts and from cell culture experiments. This doesn't make it wrong—it just makes it something that needs to be said openly. not studied in relation to cancer.

Ozone autologous blood

Blood is drawn, mixed with an ozone-oxygen mixture outside the body, and then returned. The providers claim this stimulates the immune system. However, there is no evidence to support this claim in relation to cancer – there are cell culture studies in which ozone damages tumor cells, and cell culture studies damage almost anything. The German Society of Cancer Surgeons summarizes it this way: not a single randomized controlled trial in cancer patients has failed to demonstrate its safety – and yet it is widely used.

We previously described these two procedures more favorably on this page. That was an error, and it has been corrected. What remains is the honest information: Altitude training is basic research with interesting questions. The efficacy of ozone autologous blood therapy for cancer is unproven. Neither replaces anything, both should, if at all, be considered by a doctor – and both have little to do with what oxygen can actually do for you. The rest of this page deals with that.

Yoga, Tai Chi, and Qigong are essentially movement synchronized with breath. And they are listed in the German S3 guideline as "should" to combat the debilitating fatigue that accompanies so many during and after treatment—Tai Chi and Qigong additionally promote sleep. This is no trivial matter: fatigue is the most common complaint overall, and here is a method that costs nothing, takes no money, and risks nothing.

What breathing does in the body

When you exhale slowly, for longer than you inhale, the vagus nerve signals to the body: no danger. Your pulse slows, your muscles relax, and digestion begins. This switch is the most direct one you have when you experience anxiety, tension, and insomnia—and it's always there.

Three things you can start today

• Four in, six out. Breathe in through your nose, exhale slowly through your mouth, for a few minutes. Before falling asleep, before an appointment, in the waiting room.
• A course instead of a video. Yoga, Qigong, or Tai Chi in a group setting – many cancer support centers and sports clubs offer programs for those affected, often free of charge. Supporting a group helps you persevere.
• Gentle, not sporty. It's not about stretching and performance. It's about breathing, and that works even when sitting.

When you should first ask

In cases of lung metastases, after lung surgery, in cases of shortness of breath or heart failure, breathing exercises should be discussed with the team beforehand – not because they are forbidden, but because the body's breathing pattern changes. And breathing exercises are not a substitute for treating shortness of breath. If someone can't breathe at night, they should call for help instead of breathing.

What really improves care

• Movement. It's the only thing that permanently increases oxygen delivery to the tissues – because it trains the heart, lungs, and blood vessels, thus improving transport, not the amount of air. The guidelines list it as "should." Even ten minutes of walking counts; how to start is explained on the [guideline/document/etc.]. Page Accompanying Help.
• Do not smoke. Carbon monoxide from smoke blocks red blood cells. Those who quit smoking have measurably higher blood oxygen levels within days. Even those who quit only after diagnosis tolerate treatments better and heal more effectively.
• Daylight and being outdoors. Not because of the oxygen content of the air – that's the same everywhere – but because of what light and exercise outdoors do to sleep, mood, and rhythm. The reasons behind this are explained in the Key topic: Sunlight.
• Enough iron and enough protein. Oxygen is carried by red blood cells, and these need iron and protein to build up. Anemia is common in cancer patients and is often overlooked – have your blood levels checked before you start working on your breathing.

What the forest can really do

It's often said that the air in the forest is richer in oxygen. The difference is minuscule and meaningless to the body. What the forest actually does is something else entirely: it lowers stress hormones, it combines exercise and light, and it does so effortlessly. This is well-researched and reason enough – you just don't need to explain it in terms of oxygen.

• It says that cancer is caused by a lack of oxygen. The order is reversed, and anyone who doesn't know that doesn't know the rest either.
• It promises to "change" the tumor environment. That's a statement without a measurement. Ask what exactly is supposed to change, where it's supposed to change, and how that was measured.
• It refers to the pressure chamber. and conceals what it has been proven to cause: late effects of radiation, not tumors.
• Oxygen or ozone is injected into the vein. Leave immediately.
• It cites cell experiments and calls it effect.
• It costs per session. and recommends many sessions.

And a sentence for your next conversation

„"I've been offered oxygen therapy. Is there a situation with my condition where this would be beneficial – and are there any contraindications for me?" Anyone asking this question usually receives a clear answer and not a sales pitch.