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Top questions

In hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT), people are exposed to 100% oxygen at a higher-than-normal pressure.

Affordability and access

Prescription required?

  • If delivered in a hospital, a prescription will be required. Some complementary medicine centers also offer hyperbaric oxygen. If pursuing HBOT outside a clinical setting, it is very important to discuss it with your care team first, as HBOT can interact with radiation and is dangerous for people with certain health conditions.

Affordability 

  • Moderate cost (between $500 US and $2000 US/year). The cost will depend on insurance coverage, or the pricing at a private clinic.

Keep reading about hyperbaric oxygen therapy

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See all our reviews of complementary therapies

Author

Sophie Kakarala

Research Assistant
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Sophie received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Cambridge, where she studied Middle Eastern languages and the philosophy of science. She then completed a premedical post-baccalaureate at the City University of New York. Before joining CancerChoices, she worked for several years at the Cornell Center for Research on End-of-Life Care, where she helped to conduct research on terminal illness and grief. Working in end-of-life research filled her with the conviction that all patients deserve free, accessible, and scientifically accurate information about the therapies available to them. While taking classes in anthropology, she also became curious about traditional medical knowledge and philosophies. These interests led her to CancerChoices. She is delighted to be part of CancerChoices’s work creating rigorous, evidence-based treatment guides for patients and physicians.

Sophie Kakarala Research Assistant

Clinical reviewer

Hui Chen, MD

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Dr. Hui “Amy” Chen is an Assistant Professor in Gynecologic Oncology at the University of California, Davis. Dr. Chen received her medical degree at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School. She then completed a residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at NYU Long Island Hospital, followed by a fellowship in Gynecologic Oncology at UC Davis. As a gynecologic oncologist, she cares for patients with ovarian, uterine, cervical, vaginal and vulvar cancer. Her expertise includes advanced surgeries, chemotherapy, and targeted therapies. She is involved in clinical trials with novel therapeutics and immunotherapies. She also has clinical and research interests in integrative oncology, with special focus on dietary supplements, cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I) and patient perspectives.

Hui Chen, MD

Last update: December 19, 2025

Last full literature review: May 2025

CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.

Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.

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