Oral and cervical temperatures as marker variables for chronoradiotherapy of patients with cervical cancer

Oral and cervical temperatures were measured every 30 min during the time the patients were awake (0800-2200) and hourly during the night in 28 women with stage II-III cervical cancer. Data series averaged over all patients were analyzed to determine the circadian rhythmic pattern of temperatures from both sites as well as of the difference in temperature between the two sites. The characteristics of the 24-hr component, notably the amplitude-acrophase pair, were found to differ between the two sites (P less than 0.001). Harmonics of the 24-hr component were found to contribute with statistical significance to the circadian waveform. Accordingly, the acrophase is compared to the macrophase (time of maximal value) and orthophase (time of maximal value assumed by a multiple component model). The relative merits of these different endpoints should be assessed as a function of clinical outcome.