Hydrogen Therapy: A New Hope for Controlling Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer and Reducing Drug Side Effects
Hydrogen inhalation therapy can help patients control their condition, reduce drug side effects, and improve their quality of life, bringing new hope to patients with advanced lung cancer.
Free cancer support
For patients diagnosed with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the journey of treatment is often long and arduous. Many undergo chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy — essential options that can suppress tumor growth but also bring severe side effects such as nausea, fatigue, cough, breathing difficulty, rash, or liver toxicity. These complications can sometimes make the treatment feel more unbearable than the disease itself. For such patients, finding a safe, effective, and quality-of-life-oriented complementary therapy has become a shared wish.
In a Chinese clinical study registered in 2019 and published in Medical Gas Research in 2020 (ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03818347), a research team from the Affiliated Fuda Cancer Hospital of Jinan University reported that hydrogen inhalation therapy helped patients with advanced NSCLC both control tumor progression and alleviate drug-related adverse effects (Chen et al., 2020). This study offered new hope to countless patients.
Background: Hydrogen Is More Than Just a Simple Gas
Hydrogen (H₂) is the lightest and most abundant element in nature. In recent years, the medical community has begun exploring its potential as a therapeutic gas because of its selective antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. Unlike conventional antioxidants, hydrogen specifically neutralizes the most toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS), such as hydroxyl radicals (•OH), while leaving beneficial signaling molecules unaffected.
This unique characteristic allows hydrogen to protect normal cells without disrupting physiological functions — an especially valuable feature for cancer patients undergoing toxic treatments like chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Scientists believe hydrogen may help mitigate treatment-related oxidative stress, reduce inflammation, and potentially enhance immune regulation.
The trial enrolled 58 adult patients with advanced NSCLC seeking relief from lung symptoms or therapy-related side effects. Among them, 20 patients who refused drug treatment were randomly divided into two groups: one received daily hydrogen inhalation, while the other served as the control group without hydrogen.
The remaining 38 patients were assigned to three subgroups based on their tumor gene mutations and drug sensitivity results: 10 received chemotherapy, 18 received targeted therapy, and 10 underwent immunotherapy — each combined with hydrogen inhalation as an adjunct.
All patients inhaled hydrogen gas for 4–5 hours daily over a period of five months, or until tumor relapse occurred. At baseline, all five groups (control, hydrogen only, and three combination groups) had similar demographic and clinical characteristics, except for tumor mutation profiles (Chen et al., 2020).
Study Design: A Clinical Trial Involving 58 Patients
Treatment Process: Breathing Hope Back Into Life
Over the first five months, patients in the control group experienced gradually worsening respiratory symptoms, including persistent cough and shortness of breath. In contrast, patients in the hydrogen group and all three combination groups showed progressive improvement.
Many reported easier breathing, better sleep, improved appetite, and greater overall energy. Some even regained daily activity levels they had lost before treatment. For patients who had suffered months of fatigue and breathlessness, these small improvements represented a powerful emotional relief.
After 16 months of follow-up, the study revealed that the progression-free survival (PFS) of the control group was significantly lower than that of the hydrogen-only group, and both were markedly lower than those of the combination groups (hydrogen + chemotherapy, hydrogen + targeted therapy, hydrogen + immunotherapy). This suggested that hydrogen might not only delay tumor progression but also enhance the efficacy of existing therapies.
Reduction of Adverse Effects
In all combination groups, most treatment-related side effects gradually subsided or even disappeared.
- Chemotherapy group: less fatigue, improved white blood cell counts, and better tolerance.
- Targeted therapy group: reduced rashes, liver enzyme abnormalities, and mouth ulcers.
- Immunotherapy group: fewer fevers and joint pains.
The researchers suggested that hydrogen’s anti-inflammatory and immunomodulatory effects could protect normal tissues and help the body repair damage caused by toxic drugs.
For many patients, this improvement in tolerability meant not having to interrupt therapy — a critical factor in long-term survival outcomes.
Safety and Practicality of Hydrogen Therapy
Hydrogen is a colorless, odorless, and non-toxic gas. Throughout the study, no severe adverse events were reported. The hydrogen was administered through certified inhalation devices designed with safety features to prevent leakage or explosion.
From a practical standpoint, hydrogen inhalation therapy is non-invasive, affordable, and can be done at home or in clinics — offering cancer patients a rare combination of safety, accessibility, and comfort.
Patient Perspective: Regaining Dignity and Choice
For patients, cancer treatment is not only a physical challenge but also a psychological battle. When drug side effects prevent them from eating, sleeping, or interacting with loved ones, many begin searching for more humane, patient-friendly options.
One patient participating in the study shared:
“After starting hydrogen inhalation, I could sleep better and cough less. I even wanted to go outside again. I began to feel like I was living — not just fighting cancer.”
Such stories highlight that the greatest benefit of hydrogen therapy may lie not only in its biological effects, but also in its ability to restore dignity, comfort, and emotional strength.
Complementarity With Other Therapies
Hydrogen therapy is not a replacement for chemotherapy, targeted therapy, or immunotherapy — it is a complementary and synergistic approach.
At the molecular level, hydrogen can:
- Reduce oxidative stress induced by drugs or radiation.
- Alleviate inflammation in the tumor microenvironment.
- Support immune balance.
By addressing these biological stressors, hydrogen may make standard treatments more tolerable and sustainable, ultimately improving patient outcomes.
Future studies could explore hydrogen’s role in different cancer types or treatment phases — such as post-surgery recovery, between radiotherapy sessions, or during remission maintenance — to determine its most effective applications.
Clinical Implications: Toward Integrative Cancer Care
This study’s importance goes beyond confirming hydrogen’s therapeutic potential. It also reflects a shift toward patient-centered integrative oncology, where the goal is not just to shrink tumors but also to reduce suffering and restore wellbeing.
Hydrogen therapy may become part of a broader, holistic cancer-care model that combines precision diagnostics, nutritional and psychological support, and immune balance management. Such a model aims to prolong not only survival time but also the quality and meaning of life.
Conclusion: Breathing Life Back Into Hope
The emergence of hydrogen inhalation therapy gives patients with advanced lung cancer an additional option — one that represents safety, comfort, and dignity. Although larger, multi-center clinical trials are still needed, this pioneering study offers a powerful message: treatment doesn’t always have to mean suffering.
In the future, hydrogen therapy may come to symbolize a new philosophy of cancer care — helping patients breathe more easily, live more fully, and rediscover hope in every breath.
Want to know how to choose the most suitable adjuvant therapy for cancer?
Contact our professional team now
References
- Chen, J. B., Kong, X. J., Liu, T. T., Zhao, J. J., Liu, Y., & Xu, J. F. (2020). Hydrogen therapy may help control tumor progression and alleviate the adverse events in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Medical Gas Research, 10(3), 138–145. https://doi.org/10.4103/2045-9912.289984
- ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT03818347. (2019). Hydrogen therapy in advanced non-small cell lung cancer. U.S. National Library of Medicine. https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT03818347