[Localized hyperthermia in the treatment of human deep tumors. 4 years' experience]

Localized hyperthermia was used on 86 adult patients with deep-seated tumours beyond therapeutic resources. The possibility of regression could be assessed in 71. Following treatment with an instrument producing 13.6 MHz radiofrequency waves, demonstrable regression was obtained in 28% of all cases and in 50% of the last 22 cases treated for a total of 20 hours divided into one-field sessions of at least 2 hours. Even in the absence of regression, the pain-killing effect was most conspicuous. Some physical and technological problems inherent in the method have yet to be solved, but undoubtedly localized radiofrequency hyperthermia has real possibilities in the treatment of deep-seated human tumours, and this without toxic hazards, which is quite unusual in cancerology.