Healing After Radiation: Understanding Wound Care and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy
Radiation therapy is a powerful tool in the fight against cancer. It works by targeting cancer cells with high-energy rays to shrink tumors and kill abnormal cells. However, while radiation can be lifesaving, it can also affect healthy tissues in its path, sometimes leading to delayed wound healing or tissue damage.
If you're a cancer survivor or currently undergoing radiation treatment, understanding how to care for wounds and when therapies like Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO) might be needed is an integral part of recovery.
How Radiation Affects the Body
Radiation therapy targets fast-growing cells, but unfortunately, it doesn’t always distinguish between cancerous and healthy tissue. Over time, this can lead to:
- Chronic pain or infections
- Reduced blood flow in the irradiated area
- Skin breakdown and wounds that are slow to heal
- Tissue fibrosis (hardening or scarring)
Radiation wounds often appear weeks, months, or even years after treatment, especially in areas with poor circulation like the jaw, chest wall, or pelvis. This is where specialized wound care and HBO therapy come in.
What Is Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBO)?
Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy involves breathing 100% oxygen in a pressurized chamber. This increases the amount of oxygen in your blood, which can dramatically improve healing—especially in damaged or irradiated tissues.
How HBO Helps After Radiation
- Promotes angiogenesis: HBO helps stimulate the growth of new blood vessels in tissues where radiation has reduced circulation.
- Reduces inflammation and edema: It calms the area and supports cellular repair.
- Improves immune function: Enhances white blood cell activity to fight infection.
- Speeds up wound healing: Tissues starved of oxygen respond well to the oxygen-rich environment.
Common Conditions Treated with HBO After Radiation
- Non-healing surgical wounds in previously irradiated areas.
- Osteoradionecrosis (ORN): Bone damage (commonly the jaw) after radiation, especially in head and neck cancers.
- Radiation cystitis or proctitis: Inflammation and ulceration of the bladder or rectum lining.
When Should You Consider HBO Therapy?
HBO therapy is typically considered when:
- A wound fails to heal after several weeks of standard care
- There’s exposed bone in an irradiated area
- You’re planning surgery in a site previously treated with radiation
- Symptoms like bleeding, pain, or drainage persist despite other treatments
Final Thoughts: Healing Is Possible
Cancer treatment can leave lasting effects on the body, but with the proper care and advanced therapies like HBO, healing is possible. If you or a loved one is struggling with radiation-related wounds or complications, talk to your oncologist or wound care team about your options.
Your journey doesn't end with cancer treatment. Recovery, healing, and quality of life matter just as much. With a proactive approach and the proper support, your body can continue to heal long after radiation ends.
ECHN’s Center for Wound Healing and Hyperbaric Medicine can help treat radiation wounds or symptoms caused by radiation. To schedule an appointment or to learn more, please call 860.533.2903.
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