Swallowing disorder overcome using irradiation therapy

Six years after receiving a gastric pull-up to remove the carcinoma, the patient developed a swallowing disorder. When the tumour reoccurred at the anastomosis, it was treated with chemoradiotherapy and chemotherapy, respectively. Seven years and nine months after the initial operation, the patient could not drink or eat and sleep was continually interrupted, and his quality of life was becoming extremely poor.

After treatment with acetylcysteine twice a day and approximately 90–150 minutes of wIRA of the neck and the thorax per day, immediate results were evident. Saliva and mucus became less viscous after the first day. Within two days, salivation decreased markedly, allowing the patient to sleep without interruption and without using sleep-inducing medication. Five days after beginning treatment, the patient was able to eat his first soft food. For eight months, he had significantly improved quality of life; however, the disease progressed and he ultimately died. According to the study, the results seen with wIRA could be interpreted as regeneration of nerve function.

All treatments were performed at the patient’s home, were contact free and were experienced as pleasant. Additionally, after receiving instructions on proper and safe use, the patient was able to easily apply wIRA at home unaided.

Water filtering absorbs or decreases those parts of infrared radiation that would cause an undesired thermal load to the surface of the skin. The remaining radiation has a high penetration capacity in tissue, allowing a considerably higher amount of energy than in the case of unfiltered infrared radiation to be transferred deeply into the tissue. WIRA increases tissue temperature, tissue oxygen partial pressure and tissue perfusion.

The study, titled “Water-filtered infrared-A (wIRA) overcomes swallowing disorders and hypersalivation—A case report”, was published on 3 August online in the German Medical Sciencejournal.