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Heat Therapy for Cancer

Heat therapy, also known as hyperthermia or thermotherapy, is a form of cancer treatment characterized by either an internal or external exposure to a substance that increases the temperature of the body. Often used in conjunction with other forms of therapy, it's believed that raising the temperature of the affected area can increase the efficacy of both radiation and chemotherapy drugs, or even lessen any associated symptoms of the disease. Some people do respond favorably to heat therapy, though it's still considered an alternative form of treatment.

  1. Localized Heat Therapy

    • With localized heat, only a small portion of the body is elevated in temperature through internal or external means. This is often done through radio frequency ablation, but your doctor may employ microwaves or ultrasound to achieve the same effect. When the external approach is used, a series of electrodes are placed just above the affected area and waves of energy are emitted to elevate the temperature of the cancerous tissue.

      When the internal approach is used, a series of wires or probes are inserted through the skin and directly into the cancerous tissue. Once the wires are in place, energy is emitted to increase the temperature of the abnormal cells. Regardless of the method of application, it's believed that the application of heat (upwards of 113 degrees F) can actually damage the structures of these cancerous cells, making them more susceptible to either radiation therapy or chemotherapy.

    Regional Heat Therapy

    • Regional heat therapy is usually used in more advanced stages of the disease, and a larger portion of the body is elevated in temperature. And much like localized heat therapy, this mode of treatment is done either internally or externally, depending on the location of the cancerous tissue. The external approach to regional heat therapy works a lot like localized therapy where a series of electrodes are placed along the skin, but generally covering a wider area of the body, to elevate the temperature and damage cancerous cells.

      For internal, regional heat therapy, wires and probes are never used to elevate body temperature. Instead, two techniques of perfusion are employed, often together with another form of treatment. The first is a method of drawing blood out of a portion of the body, where it is then heated and pumped back into the same area. As the blood is being delivered back into the affected area, chemotherapy drugs are administered at the same time, increasing their efficacy. The second is a method where chemo drugs are heated prior to injection, thereby elevating the temperature of the affected body part prior to the surgical removal of cancerous tissues.

    Whole-Body Heat Therapy

    • Though not as common as either localized or regional heat therapy, some people may need "whole-body" heat therapy, namely in far more advanced stages of metastatic cancer. In this mode of treatment, the entire body is brought to a temperature of around 108 degrees Fahrenheit to damage the cancerous cells prior to the administration of radiation or chemotherapy.

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