Zusammenfassung
Despite progress in surgery and radiochemotherapy, the prognosis of glioblastoma (GB) remains poor. GB cells exhibit a preference for hypoxia to maintain their tumor-forming capacity. Treatment strategies utilizing oxygen (O-2) or ozone (O-3) and generating reactive oxygen species induce cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. The anti-tumorigenic properties of O-2-O-3 are accompanied by a key role ...
Zusammenfassung
Despite progress in surgery and radiochemotherapy, the prognosis of glioblastoma (GB) remains poor. GB cells exhibit a preference for hypoxia to maintain their tumor-forming capacity. Treatment strategies utilizing oxygen (O-2) or ozone (O-3) and generating reactive oxygen species induce cell growth inhibition and apoptosis. The anti-tumorigenic properties of O-2-O-3 are accompanied by a key role in regulating immunogenicity. The present study reported a case series of an intra-tumoral O-2-O-3 application in recurrent GB. Following surgery in combination with standard radiochemotherapy, O-2-O-3 (5 ml at 40 mu g/ml) was applied every four weeks into the tumor vicinity. The patients received a median of 27 (range, 3-44) O-2-O-3 applications. In addition, a systematic literature search was performed in order to evaluate the role of O-3 in the treatment of malignancies. The median overall survival rate was 40 (range, 16-53) months. The median survival rate following the first recurrence or the initiation of the O-2-O-3 treatment, respectively, was 34 (range, 12-53) months. In one patient, a local infection and in another, hemorrhage occurred, necessitating in both the temporary removal of the reservoir. The data from the present study support the potential benefit of an intra-tumoral O-2-O-3 application in recurrent GB. The scientific literature revealed by the bibliographic search suggests that O-3 may be considered a viable adjuvant therapy in oncological patients. The present study may serve as a starting point for further observational and clinical studies elucidating the cellular and systemic effects of O-2 and/or O-3 and demonstrating their efficacy and safety in larger patient samples.