Recently,The Lancet Public Health launched a special issue on China,publishing the latest report on the burden of cancer diseases in China,which has attracted widespread attention.The report shows that from 2005 to 2020,the total number of cancer-related deaths in China increased by 21.6%(approximately 425,000 people),with 65%of cancer deaths occurring in men.Lung cancer,liver cancer,and gastric cancer are the top three causes of cancer-related deaths in China.
The reported data highlight the challenges China faces in cancer prevention and treatment.However,the application of hydrogen-oxygen medicine holds promise for changing this situation.
The report study in this special issue of The Lancet Public Health was completed by the National Center for Chronic and Noncommunicable Disease Control and Prevention of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention in collaboration with Capital Medical University.It assessed the number of deaths and years of life lost across 23 cancer groups.The data were sourced from 605 surveillance sites across 31 provincial-level administrative regions in China,covering 24.3%of the national population.
The report indicates that in 2020,the number of cancer-related deaths in China reached 2,397,772,with cancer causing a loss of 56,598,975 years of life.From 2005 to 2020,cancer-related deaths increased by approximately 425,000,and the years of life lost increased by 5.0%.China still has the highest number of cancer deaths globally,with the vast majority dying from lung cancer.
Cancer mortality rates among different genders and age groups show distinct characteristics.Among males,the mortality rate of prostate cancer has increased significantly,while among females,the mortality rate of multiple myeloma has risen.Among young populations,lung cancer has become the third leading cause of cancer death in males,while the mortality rate of breast cancer in females is also on the rise.
From a geographical perspective,both urban and rural areas have seen an increase in cancer mortality rates and years of life lost,with rural regions showing particularly significant rises.Among provinces,11 provinces have total cancer mortality rates higher than the national average,with colorectal cancer mortality being especially prominent in Beijing,Shanghai,and Guangdong.Researchers point out that with economic development and changes in lifestyle and dietary habits,mortality rates for cancer types such as colon cancer,rectal cancer,and pancreatic cancer are gradually increasing.
Decomposition analysis of changes in deaths from different cancer types in China from 2005 to 2020 due to population growth,population aging,and age-specific mortality rates.Image from The Lancet Public Health
Numerous past studies have shown that tumor occurrence is closely related to inflammation and oxidative stress.Hydrogen-oxygen inhalation is one of the most effective tools for humans to combat inflammation and oxidative stress,and hydrogen-oxygen has demonstrated inhibitory effects on various different types of tumors.Regarding the report revealing that the top three causes of cancer-related deaths in China are lung cancer,liver cancer,and gastric cancer,hydrogen-oxygen medicine has now begun to explore research in these areas.
Hydrogen-Oxygen vs.Lung CancerLung cancer is the malignant tumor with the highest incidence and mortality rates both in China and worldwide.Among these,80%of lung cancers are non-small cell lung cancer(which includes:squamous cell carcinoma,adenocarcinoma,and large cell carcinoma).
In the study"Hydrogen-Oxygen Intervention in Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer"[1],scientists discovered that inhaling high-concentration hydrogen-oxygen mixture(66.6%hydrogen+33.3%oxygen)can inhibit the growth of non-small cell lung cancer.The mechanism is related to the suppression of Ki-67,COX-2,VEGF expression...
Inhibition of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer by Hydrogen-Oxygen Inhalation
Scientists detected the protein content of Ki-67,COX-2,and VEGF in tumor tissue.The control group showed a higher content of deeply stained nuclei,while the hydrogen-oxygen group exhibited relatively less deep staining of these three proteins,indicating that hydrogen-oxygen gas has a certain inhibitory effect on tumors.
COX-2 is cyclooxygenase-2;VEGF is vascular endothelial growth factor.
Ki-67 is currently well-known as one of the proteins that can serve as a marker for cell proliferation.It shows significantly high expression in cancer tissues and thus can be used as a predictor for tumors.Higher expression levels are associated with poorer prognosis.
The expression of COX-2 holds certain significance in predicting cancer.This study,through immunohistochemistry,found that the content of COX-2 in the control group was significantly increased compared to the hydrogen‑oxygen group,verifying that hydrogen‑oxygen has certain therapeutic significance after acting on lung cancer.
The growth of tumor cells is closely related to angiogenesis.New blood vessel formation is regulated by a series of stimulatory factors secreted by the body.Angiogenesis can provide continuous nutritional metabolism and meet the requirements for cell proliferation in tumor cells.Current research suggests that VEGF is the most potent pro‑angiogenic factor,and its expression is higher in malignant tumor tissues.After hydrogen‑oxygen intervention,the content of VEGF in tumor tissues was significantly reduced compared to the control group,indicating that hydrogen‑oxygen has a certain positive significance in reducing VEGF production in tumors.
The mechanism by which hydrogen‑oxygen combats cancer through anti‑inflammation and anti‑oxidation has been confirmed.In the field of non‑small cell lung cancer,which has the largest number of patients,it was found that high‑concentration hydrogen‑oxygen inhibits the expression of Ki‑67,COX‑2,and VEGF,thereby illustrating the inhibitory effect of hydrogen‑oxygen on lung cancer tumors.
The above provides new insights for humanity to tackle the challenges of lung cancer,while also offering strong support once again for the anti‑cancer effects of high‑concentration hydrogen‑oxygen.
Hydrogen‑Oxygen vs.Liver Cancer Prevention
Liver cancer is difficult to cure because it is characterized by"heterogeneity."The so-called"heterogeneity"refers to the fact that in clinical practice,patients with liver cancer at the same stage and with similar clinical pathological features often show significant differences in recurrence and metastasis rates after surgical resection,survival rates,and responses to drug treatments.The heterogeneity of liver cancer is universal and multi-layered,making its treatment often the most complex and challenging.
Currently,research on liver cancer has begun in the field of hydrogen-oxygen medicine,with some cases already reported.In the study of hydrogen-oxygen prevention of liver cancer,the most important one is the clinical research on hydrogen-oxygen inhibition of fatty liver jointly released by two medical institutions in Shandong[2].(Nearly 300 million people in China suffer from fatty liver,and fatty liver hepatitis is an important factor in triggering liver cancer.Therefore,improving fatty liver can also be regarded as a measure to control and prevent liver cancer.)
This experiment was approved by the Ethics Committee of Taishan Medical University in Shandong.After all patients signed informed consent forms,62 patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)were screened to participate in this experiment.These subjects were randomly divided into two groups:one group of 32 individuals served as the placebo group,inhaling a gas mixture primarily composed of 78.1%nitrogen and 20.9%oxygen;the second group of 30 individuals served as the hydrogen-oxygen group,inhaling a high-concentration hydrogen-oxygen gas mixture consisting of 66.6%hydrogen and 33.3%oxygen.
Both groups underwent hydrogen-oxygen inhalation therapy for 13 weeks.Ultimately,21 participants in the placebo group and 22 participants in the hydrogen-oxygen inhalation group persisted and completed the clinical study.
Summary of Subject Information
The research team evaluated the severity of fatty liver in the subjects.The data for mild,moderate,and severe cases in the hydrogen-oxygen inhalation group before and after the trial are as follows:
The pre/post-trial data for the mild,moderate,and severe categories in the placebo group are as follows:
From the data in the two tables above,it can be seen that among the subjects,a higher proportion in the hydrogen-oxygen inhalation group improved to mild severity,and no severe fatty liver cases appeared after hydrogen-oxygen inhalation.
In this experiment,the researchers also compared the CTL/S(liver-to-spleen CT ratio,where CTL/S represents the density ratio between the liver and spleen.In patients with fatty liver,a higher fat content in the liver results in lower fat density,leading to a smaller CTL/S value,which indicates more severe fatty liver.A CTL/S<0.838 indicates at least 30%fatty liver degeneration,with smaller values indicating greater severity.)between the two groups.
The following is a comparison of the CTL/S indicators between the two groups:
As shown in the figure above,the CTL/S data before and after the trial in the placebo group,as well as before the trial in the hydrogen-oxygen group,were similar.Only after the trial in the hydrogen-oxygen group was there a significant improvement,with the data increasing from 0.6 to above 0.7,indicating that fatty liver disease improved significantly due to inhaling hydrogen-oxygen gas.
This experiment not only holds significant value for weight loss in obese individuals but also successfully verifies the potential of hydrogen-oxygen,as a gas with no known toxic side effects,to achieve long-term liver protection and prevent liver cancer by improving fatty liver disease.
Hydrogen-Oxygen vs.Gastric Cancer
To study the effect of hydrogen-oxygen on gastric cancer,scientists from a top domestic medical research institution—Zhongshan Hospital,Fudan University—conducted an experiment on inhaling a hydrogen-oxygen mixture to inhibit the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells.The results were published in the international journal Cancer Cell International in 2021.[3]
In this experiment,scientists purchased human gastric cancer cells"MGC-803"and"BGC-823"and cultured them in a modified medium.These gastric cancer cells were then divided into a hydrogen-oxygen group and a control group.
The scientists first investigated whether hydrogen-oxygen gas would affect the proliferation of gastric cancer cells.After 24 hours of exposure to the hydrogen-oxygen mixed gas,compared to normally cultured MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells,the number of surviving MGC-803 and BGC-823 cells decreased by more than 20%.
Furthermore,the hydrogen-oxygen mixed gas(66.6%hydrogen+33.3%oxygen)significantly reduced the motility of MGC-803 cells by approximately 60%and that of BGC-823 cells by more than 50%.
Scientists have also discovered that hydrogen-oxygen can significantly inhibit the expression of lncRNA MALAT1(pro-cancer)and transcription factor EZH2(pro-cancer)in gastric cancer cells MGC-823,while upregulating the expression of miR-124-3p(which inhibits the former two).The relationship among the three is as follows:
IncRNA MALAT1 has been shown to promote the proliferation and migration of cancer cells.
EZH2 mutations or overexpression are associated with various types of cancers,such as breast cancer,prostate cancer,melanoma,and bladder cancer.Because abnormally activated EZH2 can inhibit the normal expression of"tumor suppressor genes,"inhibiting EZH2 activity can slow tumor growth.
miR-124-3p has been identified as a target and regulator of IncRNA MALAT1.Meanwhile,the expression of EZH2 is also suppressed by miR-124.
Hydrogen-oxygen can upregulate miR-124;under hydrogen-oxygen conditions,the expression of both EZH2 and lncRNA MALAT1 is inhibited,thereby suppressing gastric cancer cells.
Comparison of genomic expression between the control group(CK)and the hydrogen-oxygen group(H2)of gastric cancer cells shows that the two most significantly inhibited genes are lncRNA MALAT1 and EZH2.
The above indicates that,for further research on hydrogen-oxygen versus gastric cancer,the lncRNA MALAT1/miR-124-3p/EZH2 axis may be a novel intervention target.This experiment demonstrates that human gastric cancer cells are inhibited by hydrogen-oxygen,laying the foundation for future clinical applications of hydrogen-oxygen in combating human gastric cancer.
Conclusion
In addition to preventing and combating tumors,hydrogen-oxygen inhalation has also been extensively studied and applied in alleviating the side effects of tumor radiotherapy and chemotherapy.This includes the study published in Medical Gas Research titled"‘Real world survey’of hydrogen-controlled cancer:A follow-up report of 82 advanced cancer patients."The results indicate that hydrogen-oxygen inhalation reduces the side effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy in patients,improves their self-care ability and quality of life...These studies provide valuable references for humanity's future reliance on hydrogen-oxygen to overcome cancer.
[1]Wang et al.Effect and mechanism of hydrogen suppressing non-small cell lung cancer.International Journal of Respiration.2018 April;38(8):561-565[2]Geru Tao,Guangjie Zhang,Wei Chen,Chao Yang,Yazhuo Xue,Guohua Song,Shucun Qin.A randomized,placebo-controlled clinical trial of hydrogen/oxygen inhalation for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.WILEY.4 June 2022 DOI:10.1111/jcmm.17456[3]Zhu et al.Hydrogen inhibits the proliferation and migration of gastric cancer cells by modulating lncRNA MALAT1/miR-124-3p/EZH2 axis.Cancer Cell International.2021 
