Efficacy of Ozone Therapy on Breast Cancer-Related Lymphedema

Background

Breast cancer-related lymphoedema (BCRL) is a chronic swelling of the arm that can develop after surgery or radiotherapy for breast cancer, caused by damage to the lymphatic system. It affects a significant proportion of breast cancer survivors and can cause discomfort, reduced mobility and lasting distress. Standard care typically involves complex physical therapy, combining compression garments, remedial exercise and skin care, but researchers have continued to look for adjunctive approaches that might improve outcomes further. This study examined whether adding ozone therapy to standard physical therapy could improve limb volume and tissue thickness in women with BCRL.

Study design

Researchers at the Faculty of Physical Therapy, Cairo University, Egypt, conducted a single-blind randomised controlled trial involving 60 women with breast cancer-related lymphoedema. Participants were randomly assigned to one of two groups: an ozone therapy group, who received ozone therapy alongside complex physical therapy (compression garment, remedial exercise and skin care), and a control group, who received complex physical therapy alone. Outcomes were measured at baseline and again after 12 weeks. Limb volume was assessed using water displacement and circumferential measurement, while skin and subcutaneous tissue thickness were measured using Doppler ultrasound.

Findings

Both groups showed a reduction in limb volume over the 12-week period. However, the reduction was significantly more pronounced in the ozone therapy group than in the control group (P < 0.05). Skin and subcutaneous tissue thickness also decreased more noticeably in the group that received ozone therapy compared with the group receiving physical therapy alone.

What the authors concluded

The authors concluded that ozone therapy was an effective adjunctive modality for reducing limb volume and tissue thickness in women with breast cancer-related lymphoedema, when combined with standard complex physical therapy.

Limitations of this study

This was a single-blind trial with a modest sample size of 60 participants from one centre, and outcomes were followed for only 12 weeks, so longer-term effects and durability of the results are not established. As a single-blind design, some potential for assessment bias remains, and the specific ozone therapy protocol (dose, frequency and delivery method) used may limit how directly the findings generalise to other approaches to ozone administration. This study concerns breast cancer-related lymphoedema. It does not establish ozone as a treatment or cure for cancer itself. Ozone therapy is a complementary approach and should always be discussed with your oncology team.