Share

Can ozone therapy complement your chemotherapy?

accreditation
iStock

Traditional cancer treatments can have aggressive side-effects on patients such as nausea, hair loss and anaemia. Therefore, many people living with cancer now use one or more kinds of alternative or complementary therapies, according to the American Cancer Society.

Dr David Eedes previously told Health24 that one of the ways to deal with cancer treatment is by asking questions about your treatment and its side-effects. With that in mind, we explored the alternative method of ozone therapy that is becoming more and more popular among South African cancer patients.

What is ozone therapy?

Ozone therapy is a form of alternative medicine that aims to increase the amount of oxygen in the body through the introduction of ozone (O3) into body cells, according to the Ozone Association of Southern Africa.

According to Eileen Jacobs, an integrative health practitioner, there are various forms of ozone therapy, but only some are used to treat cancer, for example hyperthermia ozone treatment. Hyperthermia is an ancient technique which results in a "false fever reaction" that simulates the body's own defence mechanism.

During hyperthermia, ozone treatment a person sits in an ozone-resistant steam cabinet with their body completely surrounded by warm steam. The water that develops on the skin reacts to the ozone, creating a hydrogen peroxide reaction. Since the skin is the largest organ of elimination, the majority of the toxins are sweated out, sparing the liver and the kidneys most of the work.

Ozone therapy and cancer

In 1931, Dr Otto Warburg, a German Biochemist, won the Nobel Prize for Medicine for linking the lack of oxygen at cellular level to the development of cancer. Warburg’s research concluded that healthy cells in the body need oxygen to flourish, but cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment.

With this principle in mind, ozone therapy aims to enhance the efficacy and decreases the side-effects of modern-day cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. However, Eileen Jacobs says that it is crucial for patients not only to rely on ozone therapy for cancer treatment. “Patients can benefit from ozone therapy if they use it as part of a holistic approach to treat cancer alongside chemotherapy and radiation,” she explains.

Alternative vs. complementary 

Prof Michael Herbst, a health specialist from the Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA), says that CANSA does not support alternative cancer therapies, although they do agree with the use of complementary cancer therapies such as ozone therapy. "It is sometimes difficult to decide whether a particular treatment is alternative or complementary but my personal view is that a treatment is alternative when it is used with the exclusion of traditional cancer treatment. When used together with conventional cancer treatment, I see it as complimentary," Prof Herbst explains.

Benefits of ozone therapy for cancer patients

Although ozone therapy hasn’t been scientifically proven to cure cancer, it has numerous health benefits for cancer patients who want to consider it as an additional form of treatment. Some of these benefits are:

  • Improved oxygen levels in cells, tissues and organs
  • Detoxification
  • Relaxation and an enhanced overall sense of wellbeing
  • Stimulation and strengthening of the deficient immune system
  • Enhancement of the body’s natural antioxidant system which protects cells against radical damage
  • Minimised side effects of toxic medication such as chemotherapy

Read More:

'Freeze therapy' – an alternative cancer treatment?

More people should be screened for lung cancer

Immunotherapy drug shows promise against lung cancer

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE