[Eight-MHz RF-hyperthermia for advanced urological malignancies]

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Cancer Treatment

Context:

• Urological malignancies present significant treatment challenges, especially in patients with prior treatment failure or poor surgical candidacy.
• Radiofrequency hyperthermia (RF-H) is an emerging therapeutic modality for cancer treatment.

Purpose:

• To evaluate the efficacy and safety of 8-MHz radiofrequency hyperthermia (RF-H) as monotherapy or in combination with irradiation and/or chemotherapy for advanced urological cancers.

Summary:

• A total of 48 patients with various urological malignancies received RF-H, radiation (RH), chemotherapy (CH), or combined chemo-radiation-hyperthermia (CRH). Complete tumor disappearance was achieved in 5 bladder cancer patients, and partial tumor regression (≥50%) was observed in 11 additional cases.
• Treatments included RF-H alone, radiation plus RF-H, chemotherapy plus RF-H, and chemotherapy plus radiation plus RF-H. Intratumoral temperatures were maintained above 42.5°C for 30-40 minutes during one-hour sessions, twice weekly for 5 weeks.
• Observed side effects included mild skin burns and anorexia in 30-40% of patients. Fat tissue induration occurred in seven obese patients with thick subcutaneous tissue.

Impact:

• This study suggests that RF-H, particularly in combination regimens, can induce significant tumor regression in advanced urological cancers.
• Further research is warranted to optimize treatment protocols and assess long-term outcomes and patient survival.
• The findings contribute to the growing body of evidence supporting hyperthermia as a valuable component of multimodal cancer therapy.