Avoiding Pitfalls in Thermal Dose Effect Relationship Studies: A Review and Guide Forward.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Clinical Research

Background:

• Hyperthermia treatment effectiveness is often unclear due to inconsistent reporting of thermal dose parameters.
• Understanding the relationship between thermal dose and treatment outcomes/toxicity is crucial for improving cancer therapy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review clinical hyperthermia studies to identify factors influencing thermal dose-effect relationships.
• To assess the reporting quality of technical and clinical parameters in hyperthermia research.
• To propose standardized reporting guidelines for future hyperthermia studies.

Main Methods:

• Systematic literature review of 48 clinical hyperthermia studies involving 4107 patients.
• Analysis of reported technical and clinical parameters, including thermometry details.
• Assessment of reported associations between thermal dose parameters and treatment outcomes or acute toxicity.

Main Results:

• Significant associations between temperature parameters and treatment outcomes were found in 63% of studies, and with toxicity in 15%.
• Many studies omitted critical clinical treatment information, particularly regarding thermometry, hindering data analysis.
• A lack of consistent reporting of thermal dose and related parameters was observed across studies.

Conclusions:

• Inconsistent reporting of hyperthermia treatment parameters, especially thermometry, impedes establishing clear thermal dose-effect relationships.
• Standardized reporting of technical and clinical data is essential for advancing hyperthermia research and optimizing cancer treatment.
• Clear definitions and consistent data reporting are proposed to facilitate future investigations into thermal dose-response in clinical hyperthermia.