What is Local Hyperthermia Therapy?

Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment whereby body tissue is exposed to high temperatures (up to 113 degrees). Research has shown that high temperatures can damage and destroy cancer cells, usually causing minimal damage to normal tissues. [1] By destroying cancer cells and damaging proteins and structures within cells, hyperthermia can reduce tumors. [2]

Beneficial in cancer treatments

Hyperthermia is used most effectively in the context of comprehensive cancer therapies, which may even resort to radiotherapy and chemotherapy. [1, 3] Hyperthermia may increase the sensitivity of some cancer cells to radiation or damage other cancer cells that radiation cannot destroy. When hyperthermia is combined with radiation therapy, they are often administered one hour apart. Hyperthermia can also improve the effects of certain anti-cancer drugs.

Extensive clinical research has been conducted to study hyperthermia in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. These studies have focused on the treatment of several types of cancer, including sarcoma, melanoma, and cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung, esophagus, breast, bladder, rectum, liver, appendix, cervix and the peritoneal lining, mesothelioma, and others (1, 3-7).

Many of these studies, although not all, have indicated a significant reduction in tumor size when hyperthermia is combined with other treatments. [1, 3, 6, 7] In view of all this, can you imagine what it can do in combination with nutritional, immunological approaches together with detoxification?

How is it done?

When local hyperthermia is used, heat is applied in a small area, such as a tumor, and various techniques are used to provide energy to increase the temperature in that area. Different energy sources can be used to apply heat, for example, microwave, radio frequency, and ultrasound.

Depending on where the tumor is located, there are several methods for the use of local hyperthermia. External approaches are used to treat tumors that are on or just below the skin. External applicators are placed around or near the region to be treated, and energy is concentrated in the tumor to raise its temperature.

 Safe and effective

Most normal tissues are not damaged during hyperthermia if the temperature stays below 111 degrees. However, due to regional differences in tissue characteristics, higher temperatures may be recorded at certain points. This can result in burns, blisters, discomfort or pain. [1, 5, 7]

Infusion techniques can cause tissue inflammation, blood clots, bleeding and other injuries to normal tissues in the area that was treated with perfusion; however, most of these side effects are temporary. This kind of risks is minimized when the therapy is applied by a well-trained health professional.

At Verita Life, local hyperthermia is just one protocol that forms part of its integrative cancer treatment program, with Chief Medical Director, Dr. Adem Günes, a world-renowned expert and researcher in this field.