Tirelli, U, Valdenassi, L, Franzini, M et al. · European review for medical and pharmacological sciences · 2023 · DOI
This study looked at six breast cancer patients taking a hormone therapy drug (anastrozole) who experienced severe pain, weakness, and fatigue as side effects. These patients received oxygen-ozone therapy, a treatment where blood is mixed with ozone gas and returned to the body. After treatment, patients reported significant reductions in both pain and fatigue that lasted for several months.
ME/CFS patients often experience post-exertional malaise and persistent fatigue refractory to standard treatments, similar to aromatase inhibitor-induced symptoms. This study suggests oxygen-ozone therapy may reduce fatigue and pain in chronic conditions, which could be relevant for exploring non-pharmaceutical interventions in ME/CFS, though direct evidence in ME/CFS populations is needed.
This case series does not prove oxygen-ozone therapy is effective for ME/CFS or definitively for cancer-related fatigue, as there is no control group, no placebo comparison, and no objective biological markers of improvement. The mechanism of symptom reduction remains unclear, and results cannot be generalized beyond these six patients. Publication bias may favor positive outcomes in case reports.
About the PEM badge: “PEM required” means post-exertional malaise was an explicit required diagnostic criterion for participant inclusion in this study — not that PEM was studied, observed, or discussed. Studies using criteria that do not require PEM (e.g. Fukuda, Oxford) are tagged “PEM not required”. How the atlas works →
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