Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Chemotherapy Side Effects in Cancer Patients

Authors
Journal
Biomedicines
Year
DOI
10.3390/biomedicines12071591
Study Type
clinical
Peer Reviewed
Yes
Country
Japan
Health Condition
Cancer
Body System
Immune System

TL;DR

Scientists found that a special type of hydrogen gas can protect your body from the nasty side effects of cancer drugs by reducing inflammation and damage, which could let doctors use stronger doses to fight cancer more effectively.

Key Finding

Molecular hydrogen showed protective effects against tissue damage from multiple anticancer drugs—including cisplatin, doxorubicin, and others—primarily by reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in animal and clinical studies.

Summary

This review examined research on molecular hydrogen (H2), a gas that may help protect the body from damage caused by anticancer drugs. The researchers found that in animal studies and some clinical trials, hydrogen appeared to reduce harmful side effects from several chemotherapy drugs by decreasing oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules) and inflammation. The review suggests that combining hydrogen with cancer drugs might allow doctors to use higher doses while causing less harm to healthy tissues.

Practical Takeaway

While this review suggests hydrogen water may have potential as a complementary approach during chemotherapy, the evidence comes mainly from animal studies and small clinical trials with unclear details. Anyone undergoing cancer treatment should discuss hydrogen water or any supplement with their oncologist before use, as the long-term safety and effectiveness in humans remain unproven.

Abstract

While drug therapy plays a crucial role in cancer treatment, many anticancer drugs, particularly cytotoxic and molecular-targeted drugs, cause severe side effects, which often limit the dosage of these drugs. Efforts have been made to alleviate these side effects by developing derivatives, analogues, and liposome formulations of existing anticancer drugs and by combining anticancer drugs with substances that reduce side effects. However, these approaches have not been sufficiently effective in reducing side effects. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has shown promise in this regard. It directly reduces reactive oxygen species, which have very strong oxidative capacity, and indirectly exerts antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic effects by regulating gene expression. Its clinical application in various diseases has been expanded worldwide. Although H2 has been reported to reduce the side effects of anticancer drugs in animal studies and clinical trials, the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear. Our comprehensive literature review revealed that H2 protects against tissue injuries induced by cisplatin, oxaliplatin, doxorubicin, bleomycin, and gefitinib. The underlying mechanisms involve reductions in oxidative stress and inflammation. H2 itself exhibits anticancer activity. Therefore, the combination of H2 and anticancer drugs has the potential to reduce the side effects of anticancer drugs and enhance their anticancer activities. This is an exciting prospect for future cancer treatments.