Hydrogenology
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Effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water on the quality of life of patients treated with radiotherapy for liver tumors

Kang KM et al. · Med Gas Res. 2011;1:11.

HumanH₂-rich waterPublished 2011
Study record, not medical adviceThis page reports one source and Hydrogenology’s source-text extraction. It does not establish that molecular hydrogen is effective, safe or appropriate for any person. Human, animal and laboratory evidence must not be treated as equivalent.
Source and classification

What kind of evidence is this?

Evidence stream

Human

Reported design

Randomized placebo-controlled parallel trial

Research topic

Cancer research

Administration classification

H₂-rich water

Study result signal

Not reported in this record.

Outcome type

Not reported in this record.

Reported in the source

Methods at a glance

Population or model

People receiving radiotherapy for malignant liver tumors

Sample

49 participants: H₂ water n=25; placebo n=24

Duration

6 weeks from the first day of radiotherapy

Intervention

Hydrogen-rich water, 1.5–2.0 L/day

Hydrogen form

H₂ dissolved in water — H₂ only, not Brown’s gas.

H₂ specification

0.55–0.65 mM dissolved H₂, generated with magnesium sticks.

H₂ flow

Not applicable — oral water, not gas inhalation.

O₂ delivered with H₂

No O₂ was co-delivered as part of the intervention.

Comparator

Placebo water during radiotherapy

Reported, not endorsed

Outcomes and reported result

Outcomes measured

EORTC QLQ-C30 quality of life, oxidative-stress measures and tumor response

Reported result

Several quality-of-life and oxidative-stress measures favored H₂ water, while fatigue, depression, sleep, vomiting and diarrhea did not consistently differ. Tumor response was similar: 48% versus 50%.

Results-extraction completeness

Intervention, methods, full results, funding and conflict statement checked in the free full text; independent appraisal remains incomplete.

A reported association, difference or mechanism is not automatically a clinical benefit. Null findings, outcome type, study design and precision all matter.

Interpretation limits

Cautions and applicability

Design and reporting cautions

Small, short study with heterogeneous liver tumors and questionnaire outcomes. No difference in tumor response was reported. The authors declared no competing interests; the Daimaru Research Foundation funded the work.

Applies directly to

People receiving radiotherapy for malignant liver tumors under this study’s conditions.

Preliminary appraisal framework

Not reported in this record.

Preliminary risk-of-bias status

Not reported in this record.

Appraisal rationale

Not reported in this record.

No single-study GRADE certainty rating is assigned. Certainty is assessed by important outcome across a complete eligible evidence set, not by attaching a final grade to one source.

Provenance

Sources and record status

Identifiers

PMID: 22146004 · DOI: 10.1186/2045-9912-1-11

Publisher access

Open-access full text is available through PMC and the publisher.

Extraction basis

Open-access PMC and publisher full texts plus PubMed bibliographic record.

Record revision

2026-08-10

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