Is hyperthermia used alone to treat cancer?

Rarely. Hyperthermia is almost always used together with other forms of cancer treatment, not on its own.

Many clinical trials have shown that when hyperthermia is used with treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, it helps shrink tumors and may make it easier for those treatments to kill cancer cells. In other words, its main role is to help other treatments work better.

Hyperthermia heats body tissue to damage and kill cancer cells while trying to spare normal tissue. It can be local (a small area), regional (a large area such as an organ or limb), or whole-body.

It is worth knowing that hyperthermia is not widely available. It requires special equipment and expertise, and it is not clear whether it helps people live longer. It is often studied in clinical trials, so your care team can tell you whether it is an option for you.