Clinical Applications of Hyperthermia

Abstract

Temperature in the supra-physiological range has been successfully used to treat tumors across various clinical sites. Hyperthermia (HT) is mostly used in combination with other treatment modalities like radiotherapy (RT), chemotherapy (CT), chemo-radiotherapy (CRT), andimmunotherapy. HT augments the effect of RT by vasodilation, damage to intracellular components of tumor, and causing cytotoxicity in radioresistant phases of cell cycle. The cytotoxicity of chemotherapeutic agents is also enhanced with HT, as it increases their cellular uptake. As a wide range of immune response is triggered by HT, integration of immunotherapy with HT has a good potential scope in cancer management. Adverse effects of HT mainly depend on the type of target organ, technique, and device being used. Soft tissue and skin burns are most commonly observed adverse effects. Although several studies have shown clinical benefits of HT, more robust, phase III, prospective randomized trials are required to validate the data and to optimize different treatment strategies in combination with HT. © 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.