Temperature data analysis for 22 patients with advanced cervical carcinoma treated in Rotterdam using radiotherapy, hyperthermia and chemotherapy: A reference point is needed

Abstract

Average all lumen T50 for bladder, vagina and rectum differ less than 1 degrees Celsius, indicating that a large volume was heated relatively homogeneously. The vagina T50 value depends on how many measurement points are included for the analysis. In this group of patients the vagina T50 of the first treatment is not a good measure to discriminate between patients with 'heatable' and 'non-heatable' tumours. In order to compare temperature data reported by different institutes dealing with the same group of patients, one needs a strict and clear agreement on which temperature measurements or reference point(s) that should be included in the analysis.

What is on the Horizon for Hyperthermic Cancer Therapy?

“…The combination of hyperthermia with hormone therapies; enzyme therapy, photodynamic therapy, gene therapy, immune therapy and other supportive therapies are also frequent clinical applications [117][118][119][120][121][122][123]. The methods are compared according temperature used, assuming that the same temperature provides the same results irrespective of which technology is applied to make it.…”

“…However, this problem with the contradiction between local control and overall survival was recently measured on surface tumors in a rigorously performed clinical study [140]. This characteristic story shows that the survival time problem was ignited by a milestone publication about uterine cervix carcinoma [141]. The four-year survival time in the hyperthermia + radiotherapy treatment arm compared to radiotherapy alone was doubled, which was a breakthrough.…”

Heating Preciosity—Trends in Modern Oncological Hyperthermia

“…The remission rate was better when hyperthermia was applied, but again, distant metastases increased significantly when hyperthermia was applied. The possible explanation of controversy is the missing reference point in the studies [51]. The newest cervix study [52] was inconclusive, and the study was terminated.…”

Hyperthermia Dosing and Depth of Effect

“…The robust number of positive results of hyperthermia in oncology need stabilization, must not be hindered by also many controversial experiences. One of the first explanations of the failure in cervix was the missing reference point [10], which in simple meaning is the unfixed technical background of the treatments. The well-focused heat-absorption on the tumor volume does not keep the temperature rise locally there.…”