Hyperthermia therapy is a new type of cancer treatment. It uses heat to destroy cancer cells and shrink tumors. Hyperthermia therapy can also make other cancer treatments more effective. These include chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Other names for this heat treatment include thermal therapy and thermotherapy. It’s still under investigation and in clinical trials, so it’s not widely available.
Are there different types of hyperthermia therapy?
Hyperthermia therapy can take different forms, including:
- Local hyperthermia therapy.
- Regional hyperthermia therapy.
- Whole-body hyperthermia therapy.
What is local hyperthermia therapy?
During local hyperthermia therapy, heat targets a small area such as a tumor. The heat comes from energy such as radio waves, electromagnetic waves or ultrasound waves. Local hyperthermia therapy is most effective for:
- Small tumors in or just beneath your skin.
- Tumors in small body cavities.
- Tumors that are too deep in your body for surgery.
Examples of local hyperthermia therapy include:
- Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) for tumors in your liver, kidneys and lungs.
- Laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) for deep brain tumors.
What is regional hyperthermia therapy?
Regional hyperthermia therapy targets larger areas of your body. Providers use it to treat tumors that are in body cavities, organs or limbs. It’s typically combined with chemotherapy.
This treatment can take several forms:
