Thermal enhancement of the radiosensitivity using cultured normal and neoplastic cells

Cultures of normal tissue are relatively insensitive to heat, while malignant cells in culture are highly sensitive to thermal treatment. This differential thermal sensitivity is most pronounced when the cells of normal and neoplastic tissues are exposed to heat in their exponential growth phase. Dose survival curves of HeLa and 3T3 cells with and without postirradiation thermal treatment showed that the neoplastic HeLa line exhibited significant enhancement of radiosensitivity when the irradiated cells were exposed to elevated temperatures (42C. for 3 hours). Similar heat treatment of irradiated 3T3 fibroblasts did not appreciably enhance the radiation response. The potential significance of these findings for clinical radiotherapy is discussed.