Hyperthermia to Treat Cancer
Hyperthermia is the use of heat for medical treatment. Hyperthermia used to treat cancer is also called thermal therapy, thermal ablation, or thermotherapy. The information here focuses on how heat is used to treat cancer.
When cells in the body are exposed to higher-than-normal temperatures, they change. These changes can make the cells more likely to be affected by other treatments such as radiation therapy or chemotherapy (chemo). Very high temperatures can kill cancer cells, but they also can injure or kill normal cells and tissues. This is why hyperthermia treatment should be done by doctors who are skilled in using it.
One of the challenges with hyperthermia is monitoring the tumor temperature and keeping the exact temperature range needed for a specific amount of time without hurting nearby tissues. Also, all body tissues might not respond to heat the same way. For example, the brain is very sensitive to heat, even with the lower temperatures used in whole-body hyperthermia. Doctors and researchers are looking at better ways to monitor temperatures at the site being treated.
How is hyperthermia used to treat cancer?
Sometimes, hyperthermia can be used to treat cancer effectively, particularly small cancers. In other situations, hyperthermia is not used alone to treat cancer. It can be used with other types of treatment for different cancers.
Hyperthermia treatment can be local, regional, or whole body, depending on the extent of the area being treated.
Local hyperthermia
Local hyperthermia uses high temperatures to heat a small area like a tumor. Radio waves, microwaves, ultrasound waves, and other forms of energy are used to create the heat.
The heat may be applied in different ways:
- High energy waves aimed at a tumor from a machine outside the body.
- A thin needle or probe put right into the tumor. The tip of the probe releases energy, which heats the tissue around it.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA): This is probably the most common type of hyperthermia. RFA uses high-energy radio waves for treatment. A thin, needle-like probe is put into the tumor for a short time. The probe is guided into place using ultrasound, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), or computed tomography (CT) scans. The tip of the probe puts out a high-frequency current that creates very high heat and destroys the cells within a target area. The dead cells become scar tissue and shrink over time.
RFA is most often used to treat tumors that cannot be removed with surgery or for people who are not able to have surgery. It can usually be done as outpatient surgery (you do not have to stay in the hospital). RFA may be repeated for tumors that come back or start to grow. It can also be added to other treatments like surgery, radiation therapy, chemo, or chemoembolization.
RFA can be used to treat tumors up to about 2 inches (5 cm) across but is best for smaller tumors. It is mostly used to treat tumors in the liver, kidneys, and lungs, and is being studied for use in other areas of the body. Sometimes, it also is used for uncontrolled pain. Long-term outcomes after RFA treatment are not yet known, but early results are encouraging.
Regional hyperthermia
In regional hyperthermia, a part of the body, such as an organ, limb, or body cavity (a hollow space within the body) is heated. Usually, it is given with chemo or radiation therapy.
Types of regional hyperthermia:
- Regional or isolation perfusion removes the blood from a specific part of the body, heats it, and puts it back (heated) into the area. Chemo may also be added. This is being studied and used as treatment for certain cancers in the arms or legs, such as sarcomas and melanomas.
- Continuous hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) or hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) is used with surgery to treat cancers in the abdomen (an area in the body that contains intestines and other digestive organs). During surgery, a heated chemo drug is put into the abdominal cavity. Some studies show it can help treat certain types and stages of cancer, but more research is needed to know which people with cancer it can help.
- Deep tissue hyperthermia devices use high energy waves on the surface of the organ or body area to heat the area being treated.
Whole-body hyperthermia
Whole-body hyperthermia raises the person's body temperature. Body temperature can be raised by heating blankets, placing the patient in warm water, or thermal chambers. You will usually be given sedation (medicine to make you feel calm and sleepy) or even light anesthesia.
Research is underway to see if whole-body hyperthermia will help chemotherapy work better in treating cancer that has spread (metastatic cancer). Some studies are even testing hyperthermia and chemotherapy along with other treatments that can help boost people’s immune systems to help fight cancer.
Benefits and risks (side effects) of hyperthermia treatment
The benefits and possible side effects of hyperthermia depend on the type being used and the part of the body being treated. Most side effects do not last long, but some can be serious.
Benefits of hyperthermia
- Local hyperthermia, such as RFA, can destroy tumors without surgery.
- Regional and whole-body hyperthermia seem to make other forms of cancer treatment work better. Heating the temperature of cancer cells above normal makes them easier to be killed by radiation therapy and certain chemo drugs.
Possible side effects of hyperthermia
Improved technology, skills, and research have led to fewer side effects from hyperthermia treatment. Each type of hyperthermia treatment may cause different side effects.
Side effects of local hyperthermia can include:
- Pain at the site
- Infection
- Bleeding
- Blood clots
- Swelling
- Burns or blistering
- Damage to the skin, muscles, and nerves near the treated area
Side effects of whole-body and regional hyperthermia can include:
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
More severe side effects can include problems with the heart, blood vessels, and other organs, but these rarely occur. Because these are often used with other cancer treatments like chemo and radiation therapy, side effects may be seen at the same time or later on following treatment.
The future of hyperthermia treatment
Hyperthermia is a promising way to improve cancer treatment, but it is largely experimental at this time. It requires special equipment, as well as a doctor and cancer care team who are skilled in using it. Because of that, it is not offered in all cancer treatment centers.
Clinical trials of hyperthermia are being done to improve this treatment. Researchers continue to look at ways to best use hyperthermia with other cancer treatments to improve outcomes.
Studies are also looking at ways to reach sites and organs deeper in the body that cannot be treated with hyperthermia at this time. Current studies are looking at how it might be used to treat many types of cancer, including the following:
- Bladder
- Breast
- Cervical
- Endometrial
- Head and neck
- Esophagus
- Kidney
- Liver
- Lung
- Leukemias
- Melanoma
- Neuroblastoma
- Ovarian
- Pancreas
- Prostate
- Sarcomas (soft tissue cancers)
- Thyroid
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- References
Developed by the American Cancer Society medical and editorial content team with medical review and contribution by the American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO).
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Last Revised: April 7, 2025
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