A Systematic Review of Molecular Hydrogen Therapy in Cancer Management
Muhammad Nooraiman Zufayri Mohd Noor1, Adlin Sofea Alauddin1, Yin How Wong2
1School of Health Sciences, Faculty of Medicine and Health, International Medical University, 57000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
Background:
Cancer remains a challenging target to cure, with present therapeutic methods unable to exhibit restorative outcomes without causing severe negative effects. Molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported to be a promising adjunctive therapy for cancer treatment, having the capability to induce anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative, pro-apoptotic and anti-tumoural effects. This review summarises the findings from various articles on the mechanism, treatment outcomes, and overall effectiveness of H2 therapy on cancer management.
Methods:
Using Cochrane, PubMed, and Google Scholar as the search engines, full-text articles in the scope of the study, written in English and within 10 years of publication were selected.
Results:
Out of the 677 articles, 27 articles fulfilled the eligibility criteria, where data was compiled into a table, outlining the general characteristics and findings. Throughout the different forms of H2 administration, study design and types of cancers reported, outcomes were found to be consistent.
Conclusion:
From our analysis, H2 plays a promising therapeutic role as an independent therapy as well as an adjuvant in combination therapy, resulting in an overall improvement in survivability, quality of life, blood parameters, and tumour reduction. Although more comprehensive research is needed, given the promising outcomes, H2 is worth considering for use as a complement to current cancer therapy.
Insights
Molecular hydrogen (H2) shows promise as a cancer therapy, improving survival and reducing tumors. This adjunctive therapy offers benefits with fewer side effects than traditional treatments.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Biomedical Science
Background:
- Cancer treatment faces challenges with current therapies causing severe side effects.
- Molecular hydrogen (H2) exhibits anti-proliferative, anti-oxidative, pro-apoptotic, and anti-tumoural effects, making it a potential cancer therapy.
Approach:
- A systematic review was conducted using Cochrane, PubMed, and Google Scholar.
- Eligible studies published in English within the last 10 years were selected.
Key Points:
- 27 articles were analyzed from an initial 677, revealing consistent outcomes across various H2 administration methods, study designs, and cancer types.
- Molecular hydrogen demonstrated consistent positive results in cancer management.
Conclusions:
- Molecular hydrogen (H2) shows significant therapeutic potential as both a standalone and adjuvant cancer therapy.
- H2 therapy improved survival rates, quality of life, blood parameters, and reduced tumor size, warranting consideration as a complementary cancer treatment.
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