Hyperbaric oxygen and perfluorochemicals in radiotherapy

Malignant tumors are thought to contain radioresistant hypoxic cells which limit curability with radiation therapy. Attempts to improve tumor oxygenation by breathing oxygen under increased pressure have been only marginally successful. To improve oxygenation, the partial pressure must be increased throughout the capillary bed and must remain elevated as oxygen is consumed. Theoretical calculations predict that the combination of perfluorochemical micelles and hyperbaric oxygen could provide the necessary amount of oxygen at sufficiently high partial pressure to meet these requirements. Fluosol-DA (Alpha Therapeutic Corporation) and hyperbaric oxygen significantly reduce the hypoxic fraction in experimental rodent tumors