[Eight-MHZ RF hyperthermia in urological malignancies]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Cancer Therapy

Context:

• Urological malignancies often present challenges in treatment, particularly in patients with prior treatment failures or poor surgical candidacy.
• Radiofrequency hyperthermia (RFH) is an emerging therapeutic modality for cancer treatment.
• The study investigates various combinations of RFH with chemotherapy and/or irradiation for difficult-to-treat urological cancers.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the efficacy and outcomes of 8-MHz radiofrequency hyperthermia (RFH) in combination with irradiation, chemotherapy, or both, for patients with advanced or refractory urological malignancies.
• To assess tumor response, including complete and partial regression, and pain relief in patients undergoing these combined treatments.
• To document observed side effects associated with the treatment protocols.

Summary:

• A total of 93 patients with various urological cancers, including renal, bladder, and prostate cancers, were treated with RFH alone or in combination with irradiation and/or chemotherapy (e.g., mitomycin C, THP-adriamycin).
• Treatments were administered over 5 weeks, with intratumoral temperatures maintained above 42.5°C.
• Complete tumor regression was observed in 9 bladder cancer cases, partial regression (≥50%) in 17 cases, and pain relief in 18 of 23 patients with intractable pain.

Impact:

• The findings suggest that combined radiofrequency hyperthermia offers a viable treatment option for advanced urological cancers, potentially improving tumor response and patient quality of life.
• Further research could explore optimizing these combination therapies for specific urological cancer subtypes.
• Understanding the side effect profile, such as mild skin burns and fat tissue induration, is crucial for patient management.