Abstract
Breast cancer is the most prevalent form of cancer in women. Despite significant advances in conventional treatment, additional safer complementary treatment options are needed. Recently, ozone therapy has been considered as a type of medical adjunctive treatment that could inhibit cancer cell survival and reduce chemoresistance. However, only a few studies have been conducted on its use in breast cancer, and the optimal dosage and time of administration are unknown. Currently, preclinical studies suggest that ozone alone or in combination with chemotherapy is an effective method for inhibiting breast cancer cell growth. However, rather than investigating the effects of ozone as an antitumor therapy, current clinical trials have generally assessed its effect as an adjunctive therapy for reducing chemotherapy-induced side effects, increasing oxygen tension, normalizing blood flow, restoring blood lymphocytes more rapidly, and reducing fatigue symptoms. In this article, the use of ozone as a medical adjunctive treatment for breast cancer and its role in integrative therapy are summarized and discussed.
Keywords: breast cancer, ozone therapy, mechanisms, integrated treatment, safety
Introduction
Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers affecting women worldwide. Despite significant advances in conventional treatment options, safer and more effective alternative therapies are needed, especially for patients with late-stage disease.
Ozone (O3), which is one of the most harmful pollutants if inhaled, can be used as an immune bioregulator in adjunctive medical treatment via parenteral, topical, or injection routes, owing to its hormetic action.1,2 Its mechanisms of action in medicine have been researched over the past 20 years. Ozone has been proposed for use in treating various pathologies. 3 In medical care, ozone therapy, which has been used for almost 60 years, 4 acts by exerting controlled levels of oxidative stress produced by ozone reactions that promote the upregulation of the antioxidant system and boost the immune system.5 –7 It involves the administration of ozone, an allotrope of oxygen, to the body. Ozone can increase the oxygen concentration in tissues and induce antimicrobial effects capable of causing chromosome breakages in human cell cultures. 8 In 1974, Wolff 9 first used ozone therapy as ozonated auto-hemotransfusion (O3-AHT). Ozone therapy has subsequently been used as an adjunctive medical treatment in various medical conditions, including cancer.10 –13
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