Intraoperative radiation therapy combined with hyperthermia against pancreatic carcinoma

Fourteen patients with pancreatic carcinoma were treated by intraoperative radiation therapy (IORT) combined with hyperthermia (hyperthermia group). Their treatment results were compared with those of fifty five patients treated by IORT without hyperthermia (control group). Most of patients underwent some kind of chemotherapy for the carcinoma and some of them received post-operative irradiation. Although there was no significant difference in pain relief between hyperthermia group and control group, the local tumor control rate of the former group was a little better. The survival rate of all patients was 14.5% at one year, 2.9% at two years, 2.9% at three years and 0% at four years after surgery. The survival rate of the hyperthermia group was 21.4% at one year and 7.1% at two years and that of the control group was 12.7% at one year and 1.8% at two years. The survival of the hyperthermia group was a little better than that of control group, but the difference was not significant. Only 36% of patients of hyperthermia group were successfully heated, and if hyperthermia were given successfully to all patients, their prognoses would be possibly improved.