Fever Treatment for Cancer

Fever treatment for cancer refers to the medically-controlled elevation of body temperature to kill cancer cells. In medical terms, fever treatment is generally referred to as heat therapy or hyperthermia.

History

• M. Busch, a German physician, documented the first scientific study of a potential link between heat (fever) and its effect on cancer in 1866, when he documented the disappearance of a patient's neck sarcoma following a fever. Subsequently, there were several reports of cancer favorably responding to heat therapy.

What Is Hyperthermia?

• Hyperthermia, the creation of a higher-than-normal body temperature, can be used to damage and kill cancer cells. These cells can be killed if high heat is applied directly to them, but this method can also kill healthy cells. Therefore, careful temperature control is vital to the safety of this treatment.

Methods of Use

• Hyperthermia is administered locally, regionally (such as for an entire limb or body cavity), or for the whole body when the cancer has spread (metastatic). Local application (thermal ablation) of high heat can kill a small area of cancer cells (such as a tumor), while regional or whole body treatments involve heating larger areas or the entire body.

Benefits

• According to the American Cancer Society, research has shown that traditional cancer treatments seem to be more effective at destroying cancer cells when they are used in conjunction with heat therapy. Additionally, some surgeries can be avoided by using thermal ablation to destroy tumors.

Considerations

• While hyperthermia is promising, there are limitations, including precise temperature control, which can be difficult to achieve. There are also are potential side effects, including blistering, bleeding, burns, swelling, localized pain, and infection.