[Experimental and clinical studies on laserthermia in head and neck cancers]

A synthetic ceramic probe allows a wider angle of irradiation and diffusion of low power energy, below 3W, using an interstitial technique for producing local hyperthermia of Nd: YAG laser (Laserthermia). We studied the influences of this laserthermia procedure in experimental animals and patients with head and neck cancer. The histological findings after laserthermia in the rabbit tongues showed no marked tissue damage in the heated area. Biochemical analysis of arachidonic acid cascade metabolites in these tissues revealed an immediate increase of 12-, 15- HETEs and PGE2 and 3 at days after hyperthermia, but at 8 days these metabolites returned to control levels. The effectiveness of laserthermia on human thyroid cancer implanted in nude mice was compared with that in cisplatin treatment and in combined therapy with both. The most predominant effectiveness was found in the animals receiving therapy combining cisplatin and laserthermia. Laserthermia in combination with radio-chemotherapy was applied in 21 cases with head and neck cancer. Good efficacy was obtained in 17 patients, especially in those with oropharyngeal cancer, showing CR in 4 cases and PR in 13 cases.