Site-specific symptoms
Document urinary symptoms, bleeding, pain, or wound limitations relevant to the affected tissue.
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for radiation tissue injury
Radiation tissue injury research & care · Scottsdale & Glendale, AZ
Hyperbaric oxygen therapy for radiation tissue injury
Tissue problems can appear months or years after radiotherapy. The next step is to identify the affected tissue and the reason for ongoing symptoms.
RX-O2 offers a physician-led conversation about the evidence, your diagnosis, and the role of hyperbaric oxygen therapy in your broader care plan. Our Scottsdale and Glendale teams serve patients across the Phoenix area.
Studies support meaningful symptom improvement in selected delayed radiation injuries. The RICH-ART follow-up reported sustained urinary benefits over five years. Our team can help you explore whether your diagnosis fits a coordinated HBOT plan.
Physician-led care in Scottsdale and Glendale, serving the Phoenix area.
Physician-ledIndividual assessment and treatment planning
FDA-cleared chambersMedical hard-shell hyperbaric equipment
100% medical oxygenDelivered through a mask or hood
NHSA-certified techniciansPreparation, monitoring, and communication
The starting point
A treatment complication needs its own assessment
Late radiation injury can involve the bladder, rectum, soft tissues, or bone. Symptoms and treatment choices differ across these sites, so a general history of radiotherapy is not enough to determine suitability.
Your oncology team and the relevant specialist should evaluate new bleeding, pain, or a nonhealing wound. Treatment may involve several approaches, with HBOT considered as one part of the plan.
The clinical context matters. Treating radiation-related tissue injury is different from treating cancer. HBOT is not presented here as a cancer cure or an alternative to oncology follow-up.
Connect the research to your goals
What matters in daily life?
Healing and function
Ask what a meaningful response would look like and how your team will measure it.
Longer-term planning
Review recurrence, follow-up, and whether additional procedures may still be needed.
Your goals help shape the conversation and provide a useful way to follow progress if treatment is prescribed.
Explore the evidence
Radiation tissue injury & HBOT research
Explore the findings behind the conversation. These selected publications highlight reported benefits, the patients studied, and the questions researchers are still working to answer.
Literature checked
October 20, 2026
2025 · Long-term trial follow-up
RICH-ART: five-year follow-up for radiation cystitis
Oscarsson N, et al. EClinicalMedicine. 04/19/2025.
Read the publicationThe 2025 follow-up reported sustained average urinary symptom improvement among patients who received HBOT. Some patients required additional treatment for recurrent symptoms.
How to interpret it: The original trial was open-label, and controls were later offered HBOT. The long-term analysis therefore does not preserve an untreated comparison for five years.
2023 · Cochrane systematic review
A Cochrane review across delayed radiation injuries
Lin ZC, et al. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 08/15/2023.
Read the publicationThe review included 18 studies and found possible benefit in selected head, neck, bladder, and rectal injuries, with generally low- to moderate-certainty evidence.
How to interpret it: Results vary by site and outcome. The review also identified treatment risks, including ear barotrauma and usually temporary visual changes; benefit should be weighed against these risks.
What this means for your decision
Clinical studies and longer-term follow-up offer encouraging support for selected radiation injuries. The affected tissue and severity influence the decision, and research continues to refine patient selection. Bring your treatment history so we can discuss a focused plan with your specialist.
Plan with your care team
Start with your diagnosis and a coordinated plan
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Share the relevant records
Bring radiotherapy dates and treatment fields, oncology and specialist notes, diagnostic findings, prior interventions, and the current symptom or wound assessment.
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Agree on the purpose of treatment
Review the evidence with your treating specialist and hyperbaric clinician. Identify specific outcomes to follow, the alternatives, and the reasons HBOT may or may not be appropriate.
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Set reassessment points
If treatment is prescribed, discuss the schedule, travel, costs, safety screening, and how progress will be reviewed. A published study schedule does not determine an individual prescription.
Your consultation is an opportunity to ask about expected benefits, treatment experience, scheduling, costs, and follow-up. We review suitability with you and coordinate with your treating clinicians when appropriate.
The RX-O2 difference
A team and setting you can get to know
Medical oversight from the start
Medical Director Marvin A. Borsand, DO, FACOS, FACCS, HCC, leads clinical oversight. A licensed medical provider reviews suitability and prescribes treatment when appropriate.
Medical hyperbaric equipment
Our clinics use FDA-cleared hard-shell chambers. You breathe 100% medical oxygen through a mask or hood while the chamber is pressurized with air.
Preparation and communication
NHSA-certified hyperbaric technicians explain the visit and monitor treatment. Tell us about ear pressure, positioning, mobility, or confinement concerns before you arrive.
Before your visit
Radiation tissue injury FAQs
Does radiation cystitis differ from interstitial cystitis?
Yes. Radiation cystitis follows radiation exposure and has a separate evidence base. IC/BPS findings should not be substituted for radiation-injury evidence.
Does HBOT treat the cancer itself?
This page concerns tissue injury associated with prior treatment. Continue oncology surveillance and prescribed cancer care.
Can benefit last after treatment ends?
The RICH-ART follow-up reported sustained average improvement in radiation cystitis, but some participants did not respond or needed retreatment. Outcomes are individual.
Where can I discuss this research near Phoenix?
RX-O2 has clinics in Scottsdale and Glendale. Bring your records or ask your provider to send a referral so that the team can review your circumstances and explain whether an outpatient consultation is appropriate.
Local care, two Valley locations
Explore HBOT in Scottsdale or Glendale
Looking for a hyperbaric consultation near Phoenix? RX-O2 offers two locations for patients across the Valley. Call the clinic closest to you for appointment availability and help planning repeat visits.
RX-O2 Scottsdale
9035 E Pima Center Parkway #11Scottsdale, AZ 85258
An East Valley option for patients in Scottsdale, Paradise Valley, Fountain Hills, and nearby communities.
RX-O2 Glendale
5626 N 51st AvenueGlendale, AZ 85301
A West Valley option for patients in Glendale, Peoria, Phoenix, and nearby communities.
Take the next step toward a personalized plan
You do not have to interpret the research alone. Meet with our Scottsdale or Glendale team to discuss your goals, ask questions, and explore whether HBOT is right for you.
Sources & further reading
- Oscarsson N, et al. EClinicalMedicine. 04/19/2025. RICH-ART: five-year follow-up for radiation cystitis.
- Lin ZC, et al. The Cochrane database of systematic reviews. 08/15/2023. A Cochrane review across delayed radiation injuries.
Browse the complete HBOT research library · Learn how HBOT works
Selected research checked October 20, 2026. Evidence continues to evolve. This educational overview supports a conversation with your treating clinician; individual results vary.
Read HBOT safety and treatment FAQs. Discuss treatment risks, medicines, implants, and relevant medical history with your clinician. Equipment clearance does not establish effectiveness for every condition.