Hyperthermia Therapy - Effectiveness

Effectiveness

By itself, hyperthermia is generally ineffective, with only small numbers of patients receiving lasting benefit. However, it may significantly increase the effectiveness of other treatments.

When combined with radiation, hyperthermia is particularly effective at increasing the damage to acidic, poorly oxygenated parts of a tumor, and cells that are preparing to divide. Hyperthermia treatment is most effective when provided at the same time, or within an hour, of the radiation.

Irradiation alone produces a complete response in about 30% of patients. Combining irradiation and hyperthermia increases the complete response rate to about 70% of patients. In the past decade hyperthermia treatments in conjunction with radiation have been used with curative intent in patients with early stage cancers of the breast, head and neck, and prostate. In his observations, James Bicher, M.D., recorded complete response rates were 82% for breast patients, 88% for head and neck, and 93% for prostate patients. Projected 5 year survival rates were 80% for breast patients, 88% for head and neck, 87% for prostate patients.

Whole-body hyperthermia cannot safely reach the temperatures necessary to improve the effectiveness of radiation, and thus is not used with radiation, but it may be useful for chemotherapy and immunotherapy.

The purpose of overheating the tumor cells is to create a lack of oxygen so that the heated tumor cells become overacidified, which leads to a lack of nutrients in the tumor. This in turn disrupts the metabolism of the cells so that cell death (apoptosis) can set in. In certain cases chemotherapy or radiation that has previously not had any effect can be made effective. Because Hyperthermia alters the cell walls by means of so-called heat shock proteins, cancer cells then react very much more effectively to the cytostatics and radiation. If hyperthermia is used conscientiously it has no serious side effects. However whole body hyperthermia or local hyperthermia has better results when associated with infusion therapies (like Vitamin C, mandelonitrile (B17), Oxygen) and can be combined with an insulin potentiation therapy as a way to administrate a low dose chemotherapy.

Research in Russia has shown interesting results with extreme hyperthermia (body temperatures of 43,5°C to 44°C) where hyperthermia is used in cancer therapy, HIV therapy and Virus and Immune system illnesses. In a clinical trial, 30 patients received 4 extreme hyperthermia sessions within 70 days and 200 days later. All 30 patients showed less viruses (1,76 logs) and an increase in CAD4+ (45%), which is 20 times higher when compared with the HAART Therapy.