There's no doubt that it looks very promising that HBOT can be used to help manage many cancers.

It also looks promising that it can increase the efficacy of cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy such that the doses may be lowered thus reducing their debilitating side-effects. Indeed, HBOT is one of the FDA (the US Food and Drug Administration) and ECHM (European Committee for Hyperbaric Medicine) approved treatments for the effects of radiation therapy.

"Emerging evidence indicates that impaired cellular energy metabolism is the defining characteristic of nearly all cancers regardless of cellular or tissue origin. In contrast to normal cells, which derive most of their usable energy from oxidative phosphorylation, most cancer cells become heavily dependent on substrate level phosphorylation to meet energy demands. Evidence is reviewed supporting a general hypothesis that genomic instability and essentially all hallmarks of cancer, including aerobic glycolysis (Warburg effect), can be linked to impaired mitochondrial function and energy metabolism. A view of cancer as primarily a metabolic disease will impact approaches to cancer management and prevention." (1).

(1) Cancer as a metabolic disease

"Abnormal cancer metabolism creates a glycolytic-dependency which can be exploited by lowering glucose availability to the tumor. The ketogenic diet (KD) is a low carbohydrate, high fat diet which decreases blood glucose and elevates blood ketones and has been shown to slow cancer progression in animals and humans. Abnormal tumor vasculature creates hypoxic pockets which promote cancer progression and further increase the glycolytic-dependency of cancers. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBO2T) saturates tumors with oxygen, reversing the cancer promoting effects of tumor hypoxia. Since these non-toxic therapies exploit overlapping metabolic deficiencies of cancer, we tested their combined effects on cancer progression in a natural model of metastatic disease." (2).

(2) The Ketogenic Diet and Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy Prolong Survival in Mice with Systemic Metastatic Cancer

"Tumor hypoxia represents a fundamental barrier to effective cancer therapy, driving resistance to chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy while fostering invasion and metastasis. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), by substantially increasing dissolved oxygen in plasma, offers a unique approach to reoxygenate tumors and remodel the tumor microenvironment. Preclinical and clinical studies have revealed that HBOT enhances drug penetration, augments radiation-induced DNA damage, alleviates hypoxia-driven immunosuppression, and synergizes with immune checkpoint blockade." (3).

(3) Breaking the hypoxia barrier: Advances and challenges of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in cancer treatment

What these scientific papers are saying is that cells that have become cancerous exist in a micro-environment that is low in oxygen (hypoxic) and that they have changed the way they work to cope. They go on to say that we may be able to use this fact to our advantage. Flooding cancer cells with oxygen via HBOT may well make them weaker and more susceptible to cell death. The excess oxygen may also make treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy more effective.

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The UK Cancer Act 1939, parts of which are still enforceable today, in an attempt to stop people being bombarded with often fake or dubious claims of a cure or treatment for cancer, prohibits me from saying that any of our therapies can treat or remedy cancer; I am also prohibited from giving any advice in connection to the treatment of cancer. That's fair enough, I understand why and agree with the aims of the Act.

If you are considering using HBOT to help manage cancer or the effects of cancer treatment, please consult your medical team in the first instance.

What I am at liberty to say is that some of our therapies can often offer relief from the symptoms of cancer or side-effects of the treatments for cancer - chemotherapy and radiotherapy in particular.

Nick - 26 May 2026
nick.crawford@ardenforestwellness.co.uk


Disclaimer: The views above are solely that of the author and do not represent any position taken by Arden Forest Wellness nor any other entity. The author, upon notification to nick.crawford@ardenforestwellness.co.uk, will, without unnecessary delay, correct any factual inaccuracies or remove any copyright material. The author takes no responsibility for the use or misuse of the information presented here which is provided as-is with no guarantee or warranty, either expressed or implied, or liability for damages, consequential or otherwise.