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Hyperthermia (thermal therapy)

Hyperthermia treats cancer by heating body tissue to up to about 45°C (113°F), which damages cancer cells and makes them more sensitive to other treatments. It is almost always given together with radiation therapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own. Heat can be applied to a small area, to a region such as a limb or the abdominal cavity, or to the whole body; availability is limited, and whether the method helps people live longer is still being studied in clinical trials.

How it works

Heat is generated with microwaves, radio waves, ultrasound, or by warming blood or fluids, and it is delivered in one of three ways. In local hyperthermia a small area is heated — with applicators near the skin, probes placed in a body cavity such as the esophagus, or thin needles inserted into the tumor. Regional hyperthermia warms a larger part of the body: blood can be drawn out, heated, and returned to a limb, or heated chemotherapy can be circulated through the abdominal cavity during surgery. Whole-body hyperthermia raises the temperature of the entire body to about 42°C and is studied in cancers that have spread. Temperatures in the 40–45°C range damage proteins and structures inside cells, and a heated tumor responds better to radiation and some anticancer drugs — which is why hyperthermia is used as an add-on to those treatments. During a session the temperature is monitored with small probes, often under imaging guidance. Possible side effects include burns, blisters, pain, and discomfort; perfusion techniques can cause swelling or blood clots, and whole-body heating can cause nausea, vomiting, and — rarely — heart and blood-vessel complications.

Used in

Lip & Oral Cavity C00-C06

NCI lists head and neck cancers among the diagnoses treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Pharynx (naso-, oro-, hypopharynx) C09-C13

NCI lists head and neck cancers among the diagnoses treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Larynx C32

NCI lists head and neck cancers among the diagnoses treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Oesophagus C15

NCI lists this site among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Colon, Rectum & Anal Canal C18-C21

NCI lists rectal cancer among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Liver & Intrahepatic Bile Ducts C22

NCI lists this site among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Lung & Bronchus C33-C34

NCI lists this site among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Pleura C38.4

NCI lists mesothelioma among cancers treated with hyperthermia; its most common form arises in the pleura. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Soft Tissue C47, C49

NCI lists sarcomas among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Malignant Melanoma C43

NCI lists melanoma among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Urinary Bladder C67

NCI lists this site among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Invasive Breast Carcinoma C50

NCI lists this site among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Uterine Cervix C53

NCI lists this site among cancers treated with hyperthermia. The method is used at SOME centres and in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy rather than on its own; any use is decided by the treating team.

Where this therapy is delivered

Greater Poland Cancer Centre, Poznań Poznań · routine care

Sources

  1. National Cancer Institute — Hyperthermia to Treat Cancer ↗