perfluorinated gas + oxygen mixture

Perfluorinated gas + oxygen mixture is a therapeutic gas combination investigated primarily for its potential as a radiosensitizer in the treatment of solid tumors, such as high-grade gliomas and pancreatic cancer. The mixture typically consists of a perfluorocarbon gas (such as perfluoropropane or perfluoroethane) and a high concentration of oxygen. The mechanism of action leverages the exceptional oxygen-carrying capacity of perfluorocarbons; when inhaled, the gas mixture facilitates the delivery of oxygen to hypoxic regions within a tumor. By increasing intratumoral oxygen levels, the mixture aims to overcome hypoxia-mediated resistance to ionizing radiation, thereby enhancing the production of cytotoxic free radicals and increasing DNA damage during radiotherapy. Clinical development of these mixtures was most active in the 1990s and early 2000s, often sponsored by the National Cancer Institute, though they have largely been superseded by perfluorocarbon emulsions for systemic oxygen delivery.

Other names

perfluorinated gas/oxygen mixturePFC/O2 mixture