Protective effects of hydrogen gas inhalation on radiation-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients: a retrospective observational study.

ABSTRACT

Although intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT) has been developed as an alternative to conventional radiotherapy, reducing bone marrow damage is limited. Thus, a novel technology is needed to further mitigate IMRT-induced bone marrow damage. Molecular hydrogen (H2) was recently reported as a preventive and therapeutic antioxidant that selectively scavenges hydroxyl radical (·OH) and peroxynitrite (ONOO-). This observational study aimed to examine whether H2 gas treatment improves IMRT-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients. The study was performed at Clinic C4 in Tokyo, Japan between May 2015 and November 2016. During this period, all enrolled patients received IMRT once per day for 1 to 4 weeks. After each time of IMRT, the patients of control group (n = 7, 3 men and 4 women, age range 26-70 years) received mild hyperbaric oxygen therapy in health care chamber for 30 minutes, and the patients of H2 group (n = 16, 8 men and 8 women, age range 35-82 years) received 5% H2 gas in health care chamber for 30 minutes once per day. Radiation-induced bone marrow damage was evaluated by hematological examination of peripheral blood obtained before and after IMRT, and the data were expressed by the ratio after to before treatment. The total number of radiation times and total exposure doses of radiation were similar between the control and H2 groups. IMRT with health care chamber therapy significantly reduced white blood cells and platelets, but not red blood cells, hemoglobin and hematocrit. In contrast, H2 gas treatment significantly alleviates the reducing effects of white blood cells and platelets (P = 0.0011 and P = 0.0275, respectively). Tumor responses to IMRT were similar between the two groups. The results obtained demonstrated that H2 gas inhalation therapy alleviated IMRT-induced bone marrow damage without compromising the anti-tumor effects of IMRT. The present study suggests that this novel approach of H2 gas inhalation therapy may be applicable to IMRT-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients. The study protocol was approved by an Ethics Committee Review of Tokyo Clinic and Research Institute ICVS Incorporated (Tokyo, Japan) on February 1, 2019, and was registered in the University Hospital Medical Information Network (UMIN) Clinical Trials Registry (UMIN ID UMIN000035864) on February 20, 2019.