Treatment outcome analysis of chemotherapy combined with modulated electro-hyperthermia compared with chemotherapy alone for recurrent cervical cancer, following irradiation

Abstract

The survival of patients with recurrent cervical cancer following irradiation remains poor. Chemotherapy combined with hyperthermia has been demonstrated to improve the response rate. The present study was performed to evaluate the effect of modulated electro-hyperthermia combined with conventional chemotherapy compared with chemotherapy alone on recurrent cervical cancer previously treated with irradiation. A total of 20 patients were treated with chemotherapy alone, and 18 were treated with chemotherapy combined with modulated electro-hyperthermia. A single patient was treated with chemo-radiotherapy as primary treatment and then relapsed; the tumor was inoperable and radio-refractory upon recurrence. Local metastases, including metastasis of the para-aortic lymph nodes and adjacent pelvic lymph nodes were included, but distant metastases were excluded. Modulated electro-hyperthermia was performed three times per week beginning at chemotherapy initiation, and patients underwent a total of 36 sessions. The overall response (complete remission + partial remission + stable disease/progressive disease) to treatment was significantly greater in the group of patients who underwent chemotherapy combined with modulated electro-hyperthermia (P=0.0461), and at the evaluation conducted at the last follow-up visit, the response rate was significantly higher (P=0.0218). Additionally, severe complications were not reported. In the present study, of patients with recurrent cervical cancer previously treated with irradiation, the overall response rate for patients treated with chemotherapy combined with modulated electro-hyperthermia was significantly greater than that for those treated with chemotherapy alone.

Potentiation of the Abscopal Effect by Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia in Locally Advanced Cervical Cancer Patients

“…Nodes with FDG-avid disease were grouped by region on the pretreatment scans: Head and Neck; Thorax; Abdomen (including the upper pelvis outside of the radiation field); and Pelvis (within the radiation field). The standard uptake value (SUV) cut-off was considered to be 2.5 and evaluation of the 18…”

“…The characteristics, including treatment characteristics, of these 108 participants are listed in Table 1. The number of participants (grouped by treatment group and HIV status) with nodes visualized in each region on the pre-treatment 18…”

“…This study was funded National Research Foundation of South Africa (TP12082710852). 18 F-FDG was supplied at a discounted rate by Radioisotopes SOC Ltd. The hyperthermia device was supplied for the purpose of the study by Oncotherm GmbH.…”

“…The safety and heating efficacy of mEHT in cervical cancer patients has been demonstrated (18)(19)(20). Minnaar et al (19) reported on local disease control in an ongoing randomized controlled trial investigating the effects of the addition of mEHT to chemoradiotherapy (CRT) protocols for the treatment of LACC.…”

Bioinspired tumor-homing nanosystem for precise cancer therapy via reprogramming of tumor-associated macrophages

“…Multimodal diagnostic and therapeutic agents (theranostics) based on cooperative enhancement between two or more treatments are expected to achieve synergistic therapeutic effects and real-time monitoring of treatment efficacy [2][3][4] . Clinically, comprehensive imaging and therapeutic strategies have been shown to enhance the therapeutic effects for cancer patients 5,6 . The combination of chemotherapy with hyperthermia and/or radiotherapy (CHRT) was demonstrated to have an enhanced anticancer effect and long-term survival benefits 7 .…”