Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy in Treating Long-Term Gastrointestinal Adverse Effects Caused by Radiation Therapy in Patients With Pelvic Cancer

DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS: * Past history of rectal, prostate, testicular, bladder, uterine cervix, uterine corpus, vaginal, or ovarian cancer * Malignant disease (T1-3, N0-1, M0) * No evidence of cancer recurrence * Gastrointestinal symptoms attributable to prior radiotherapy received at least 1 year ago, meeting 1 of the following criteria: * Grade 2 or higher in any Late Effects in Normal Tissues Subjective, Objective, Management, and Analytic Scales (LENT SOMA) category * Grade 1 with difficult intermittent symptoms * Symptoms are not relieved by appropriate life-style advice and medication over a 3-month period PATIENT CHARACTERISTICS: * Must be physically and psychologically fit to undergo hyperbaric oxygen therapy * No claustrophobia * No epilepsy * No chronic obstructive airway disease, bullous lung disease, acute or chronic pulmonary infection, uncontrolled asthma, or untreated pneumothorax * No previous middle/inner ear operations (except grommets and similar procedures) and/or inability to equalize middle ear pressure * No contraindication or other inability to undergo magnetic resonance imaging, if required to rule out malignancy PRIOR CONCURRENT THERAPY: * See Disease Characteristics * No prior surgery for rectal cancer * No prior hyperbaric oxygen therapy (excluding treatment for decompression illness) * No prior treatment with bleomycin