Review. Current role and future perspectives of hyperthermia for prostate cancer treatment

Prostate cancer is the second most common cause of death in men. Between 10%-60% of patients experience biochemical recurrence associated with treatment failure. No consensus on optimal therapy for advanced prostate cancer exists and even though hormonal therapy and radiotherapy are standards, different groups have included hyperthermia associated with radiotherapy to increase its efficacy. We have tried to analyze these studies to evaluate if this association can ameliorate the therapy in the advanced disease state. From the analysis of these studies, it appears that no amelioration can be obtained adding hyperthermia and the principal cause of this failure appears to be due to the incorrect timing of hyperthermia application and probably the abrogation of androgen receptor expression in androgen-dependent cells.