Ozone Therapy May Kill Breast Cancer Cells, Reduce Adverse Effects For Patients

Patient receives injection of ozone therapy | Image Credit: HENADZY - stock.adobe.com

Ozone therapy, known to irritate lungs, shows potential as a treatment for patients with breast cancer since it can reduce side effects, improve blood flow, and kill cancer cells directly.

In an integrative, systemic literature review, researchers analyzed PubMed and Google Scholar articles that showed ozone treatment had been used to directly kill breast cancer cells in vivo, in vitro, or in human patients. A small sample size of 14 articles were included in the scope of the review.

If inhaled, ozone is 1 of the most harmful pollutants and can be used as an immune bioregulator in adjunctive medical treatment via parenteral, topical, or injection routes, due to its hormetic action. Ozone therapy has immunomodulatory, anti-inflammatory, and oxidative stress-inducing properties that have emerged as a potential adjunctive treatment in different types of cancer.

The review examined preclinical and clinical evidence of ozone therapy effectiveness against breast cancer, including mechanisms, studies, safety, and challenges.

Tumor microenvironment plays a significant role in cancer initiation, progression, and therapy response. Ozone has influential properties that affect immune cells, cytokine production, angiogenesis, and extracellular matrix remodeling, offering potential for disease management as a standalone therapy or as an adjuvant to existing therapy.

Ozone therapy can be delivered intravenously, intramuscularly, rectal insufflation, or topically applied but each method carries its own toxicity risks. High concentrations can cause serious respiratory and vascular effects, allergic reactions, hemolysis, and transient oxidative stress, even with short exposure. To minimize these risks, ozone therapy clinics require unique safety measures like proper ventilation and air purification.

To minimize oxidative damage, optimal dose and treatment duration should be carefully considered. Safe doses vary based on the patient’s location of disease and disease form but suggested safe doses for humans typically range between 15 and 50 mg/mL.

The review analyzed a preclinical study from 1980 where ozone therapy was effective for treating patients with breast cancer with cell growth inhibited by more than 90%. Ozone effects on high reactive oxygen species levels within cultured cells, like chemotherapeutic drugs were observed in a 1990 study as well.

Literature gaps existed between 1990 to 2018, where the review did not include preclinical analyses on ozone therapy during this period. The 2018 study found effectively suppressed SKBR3 and MCF7 breast cancer cells through cold plasma-activated medium generated ozone. Overall, longer treatment times increased ozone production and cytotoxicity.

A 2022 preclinical study showed ozone enhanced doxorubicin's anticancer effects in MCF7 breast cancer cells, reversing doxorubicin's suppression of tumor necrosis factor-α, matrix metalloproteinas-2 (MMP-2), and MMP-9. Another 2022 preclinical study found ozone therapy has dose-dependent effects.

A 2023 study investigated ozone's effect on doxorubicin in BT-474 breast cancer cells, suggesting ozone enhances doxorubicin's anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects. Another 2023 preclinical trial described a new, potentially safe, and effective Pt (intravenous) prodrug.

In addition to the review’s inclusion of preclinical trials, clinical studies were assessed as well. A 2001 clinical study showed ozone therapy benefits, including improved quality of life and immune function while reducing cytostatic toxicity.

A clinical study from 2011 showed ozone therapy improved local pain and symptoms, along with reduced swelling or subcutaneous induration. Later studies from 2012 and2013 on patient groups with post-surgery or breast cancer also found ozone therapy effective.

One of the more recent studies, a 2018 clinical trial found 73% of participants achieved reduction in fatigue levels without experiencing major side effects. These results suggest ozone therapy could be used as supportive therapy to reduce fatigue in patients with breast cancer, during cancer therapy and in a palliative setting.

Limited well-designed trials assess ozone therapy's safety and effectiveness in later-stage breast cancer treatment. Additionally, ozone's nonspecificity and inconsistent dosing in past studies raise concerns about its targeted effects on cancer cells.

Studies show ozone therapy can effectively reduce chemotherapy side effects, heal treatment-related complications, improve blood flow and oxygen levels, and restore immune function in patients with breast cancer. This promising approach warrants collaboration between researchers, clinicians, and regulators to integrate ozone therapy into standard breast cancer care.

Reference

Li Y, Pu R. Ozone therapy for breast cancer: An integrative literature review. Integr Cancer Ther. 2024;23. doi:10.1177/15347354241226667