[Thermochemotherapy of prostatic cancer]

We performed hyperthermia concomitantly with the use of anticancer agents (etoposide and peplomycin) for the treatment of 13 patients with prostatic cancer. Seven of them were new cases and the others were recurrent ones. After intravenous administration of etoposide and peplomycin, hyperthermia was applied twice a week for 10 times in total. Clinical efficiency was evaluated by CT, ultrasound, prostatic biopsy. Tumor regression were observed in 12 cases. According to the General Rule for Clinical and Pathological Studies on Prostatic Cancer by Japanese Urological Association and the Japanese Pathological Society, one case of Ef2 and 5 cases of Ef1 were obtained with this treatment. Side effects caused by hyperthermia were urethral pain (1 case) and skin burning (1 case) noted.