The short answer
Hyperthermia heats body tissue to high temperatures to damage and kill cancer cells with little harm to normal tissue. It is almost always used with other treatments such as radiation or chemotherapy. It is not widely available and is often studied in clinical trials.
Hyperthermia heats body tissue to as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit to damage and kill cancer cells.
It is almost always used along with other treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy.
It can treat small areas (local), large areas (regional), or the whole body.
It is not widely available and requires special equipment and expertise.
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The full explanation.
The simple version
Hyperthermia is a type of treatment in which body tissue is heated to as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit to help damage and kill cancer cells with little or no harm to normal tissue. It is also called thermal therapy, thermal ablation, or thermotherapy.
Different techniques can create the heat, including probes that make energy from microwaves or radio waves, lasers, ultrasound, heated fluids pumped into the body (called perfusion), or placing the body in a heated chamber or wrapping it in heated blankets.
Hyperthermia uses heat to damage cancer cells while trying to spare normal tissue.
How it treats cancer
Hyperthermia is almost always used with other forms of cancer treatment. 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.
During treatment, the doctor numbs the treatment area and inserts small probes with tiny thermometers into the tumor. The thermometers let the doctor closely watch the temperature of the tumor and nearby tissue. Imaging techniques, such as CT scans, may be used to make sure the probes are in the proper place.
The three main types
Hyperthermia can be used to treat small areas, large areas, or the entire body.
Local hyperthermia applies heat to a small area. The type depends on where the tumor is:
- External hyperthermia treats tumors on or just below the skin, using devices placed around or near the area.
- Intraluminal or endocavitary hyperthermia treats tumors within or near body cavities, such as the esophagus or rectum, using probes placed inside the cavity.
- Interstitial hyperthermia treats tumors deep within the body, such as in the brain, using probes or needles placed while you are under anesthesia. Radiofrequency ablation, which uses radio waves to heat and kill cancer cells, is one type.
Regional hyperthermia applies heat to large areas, such as a cavity, organ, or limb. Techniques include deep tissue heating, regional perfusion (removing some of your blood, heating it, and pumping it back into a limb or organ, often with chemotherapy), and continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (heated chemotherapy flowing through the abdomen during surgery).
Whole-body hyperthermia treats cancer that has spread throughout the body. You are placed in a thermal chamber or wrapped in hot water blankets that raise your body temperature for short periods.
Benefits and drawbacks
The main benefit of hyperthermia is that it can help other cancer treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, work better.
There are also drawbacks. Hyperthermia requires special equipment and expertise and is not widely available. It is also not clear whether it helps people live longer.
Side effects and where to get it
Most healthy tissue is not damaged during hyperthermia if the temperature stays under 111 degrees Fahrenheit. But different tissues can heat unevenly, causing higher temperatures in certain spots. This can cause burns, blisters, discomfort, or pain.
Perfusion techniques can cause swelling, blood clots, bleeding, and other damage to normal tissue in the treated area, though most of these improve after treatment. Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting are common after whole-body hyperthermia, which can also, less commonly, cause more serious heart and blood vessel problems.
Only a small number of hospitals and cancer centers have the skilled doctors and machines needed for hyperthermia. In clinical trials, doctors are studying how effective it is for different cancers and how to improve the techniques for delivering it.
Because hyperthermia is specialized and still being studied, it is often available mainly through certain centers and clinical trials.
Words to know
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Common questions
▸What is hyperthermia treatment?
Hyperthermia is a type of treatment in which body tissue is heated to as high as 113 degrees Fahrenheit to help damage and kill cancer cells with little or no harm to normal tissue. It is also called thermal therapy, thermal ablation, or thermotherapy.
▸How does hyperthermia treat cancer?
Hyperthermia is almost always used with other forms of cancer treatment. Many clinical trials have shown that when it is used with treatments such as radiation therapy and chemotherapy, it helps shrink tumors and may make it easier to kill cancer cells.
▸What are the types of hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia can be local (heating a small area, such as a tumor on or near the skin, in a body cavity, or deep in the body), regional (heating a large area such as an organ or limb), or whole-body (raising the body's temperature to treat cancer that has spread).
▸How is hyperthermia given?
During treatment, the doctor numbs the area and inserts small probes with tiny thermometers into the tumor. The thermometers let the doctor watch the temperature of the tumor and nearby tissue closely. Imaging such as CT scans may be used to make sure the probes are in the right place.
▸What are the benefits and drawbacks?
Hyperthermia can help other treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation therapy, work better. But it requires special equipment and expertise, is not widely available, and it is not clear whether it helps people live longer.
▸What side effects can hyperthermia cause?
Most healthy tissue is not damaged if the temperature stays under 111 degrees Fahrenheit, but higher temperatures in certain spots can cause burns, blisters, discomfort, or pain. Some techniques can cause swelling, blood clots, or bleeding, and whole-body hyperthermia can cause diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting. Most side effects improve after treatment.
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