Hyperthermia (HT), or the application of heat, has been used as a complementary therapy to conventional cancer treatments in many integrative cancer centers worldwide for decades. The benefits of HT in experimental and clinical studies support further application of this treatment method in many advanced malignant diseases. (1-4)
The principal reasons for the use of HT in patients with a cancer diagnosis are based on a few mechanisms. First, the physiological and molecular framework of tumor cells differs greatly from that of healthy cells and tissues, leaving malignant cells more sensitive to the damaging effects of higher temperatures as compared to healthy tissue. (5) Perhaps one of the most important mechanisms of HT is the increased delivery of drugs into the target tumor tissue, as HT induces vasodilation, which increases the blood flow in the heated tissues. HT also reshapes the vascularization in solid tumors and its associated microenvironment. (6, 7) Heated tumor cells develop damaged and unfolded proteins on their surfaces (heat shock proteins), which make these cells recognizable by the innate immune system, leading to a more targeted immune response. HT has also been studied alongside various therapies, including heat shock protein (HSP)-promoter gene therapy, which is improved with HT by inducing local HSP production and enhancing the local rate of release from liposomes. (8)
HT has been shown (largely through in vitro studies) to be an effective chemosensitizer, accelerating the primary mode of action of various chemotherapy drugs, including alkylating agents, inducing protein and DNA damage, and enhancing the production of oxygen free radicals. (9-13) HT has also been shown to be an effective radiosensitizer by increasing microcirculation and oxygen delivery, by sensitizing the cells to the damaging effects of ionizing radiation, complementing cell-cycle arrest, and suppressing DNA-dependent protein-kinase (DNA-PK). (14-16)
To learn more about hyperthermia and its many important immunological mechanisms of action, read “Old and new facts about hyperthermia-induced modulations of the immune system,” written by Frey et al. and published in the International Journal of Hyperthermia.
At the Integrated Health Clinics in British Columbia, we are one of the few clinics in North America offering hyperthermia. Our clinic spearheaded the introduction of this modality in Canada in 2010. At that time, we began collecting data on our stage IV cancer patients and are very excited that this data is now finally being submitted for publication. Our data on stage IV colorectal cancer (CRC) patients will be presented at the 21st International Conference of Society of Integrative Oncology (SIO) hosted by City of Hope Hospital in California on October 25-27th, 2024.
The presentation titled “Integrative naturopathic treatment model for colorectal cancer: a retrospective study”. In this study, we compared the overall survival of our stage IV CRC patients that incorporated the naturopathic treatment model including HT, alongside standard of care, versus standard of care alone. The standard of care patients were retrieved from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and end Results (SEER) database, based on year of diagnosis, age at diagnosis, sex, and treatment history. Our naturopathic treatment model includes modulated electro-hyperthermia, intravenous therapies such as high-dose Vitamin C, targeted supplementation, focused immune support, acupuncture, and dietary and lifestyle counseling.
To learn more about the Society of Integrative Oncology and their upcoming conference, please visit their website: https://integrativeonc.org/sio-international-conference/. If you’re already attending the conference, we look forward to seeing you there!
If you are interested in becoming more well-versed in the field of integrative oncology and palliative care, check out the Advanced Integrative Oncology Palliative Care Course by the Integrative Oncology Institute.
References
- Perez CA, Brady LW, Halperin EC, Schmidt-Ullrich RK (2004) Principles and Practice of Radiation Oncology, 4th edition. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, Philadelphia
- Baronzio GF, Hager ED (eds) (2006) Hyperthermia in Cancer Treatment: A Primer. Springer Verlag, Landes Bioscience
- Pang CLK (2015) Hyperthermia in oncology, CRC Press
- Kokura S, Yoshikawa T, Ohnishi T (Eds.) (2016) Hyperthermic Oncology from Bench to Bedside, Springer
- Vaupel PW, Kelleher DK. Pathophysiological and vascular characteristics of tumours and their importance for hyperthermia: Heterogeneity is the key issue. International Journal of Hyperthermia. 2010;26(3):211-22.
- Song CW, Choi IB, Nah BS et al (1995) Microvasculature and Persfusion in Normal Tissues and Tumors. In: Seegenschmiedt MH, Fessenden P, Vernon CC (eds) Thermoradiometry and Thermochemotherapy, Vol. 1. pp. 139-156
- Song CW, Park H, Griffin RJ (2001) Theoretical and Experimental Basis of Hyperthermia. In: Kosaka M, Sugahara T, Schmidt KL, et al (eds) Thermotherapy for Neoplasia, Inflammation, and Pain, Springer Verlag Tokyo, pp 394-407
- Gaber MH, Wu NZ, Hong K et al (1996) Thermosensitive liposomes: extravasation and relase of contents in tumor microvascular networks. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 36(5):1177-1187
- Hoffer, K. Hyperthermia and Cancer. European Cells and Materials. 2002;3(2):67-69.
- Rao W, Zhong-Shan D. A review of hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy/chemotherapy on malignant tumors. Critical Reviews in Biomedical Engineering. 2010;38(1):101-116
- Franckena M. Review of radiotherapy and hyperthermia in primary cervical cancer, International Journal of Hyperthermia. 2012:28(6):543-548
- Issels R. Hyperthermia adds to Chemotherapy. European Journal of Cancer. 2008;44(17)2546-2554
- Falk M, Issels RD. Hyperthermia in oncology. International Journal of Hyperthermia, 2001;17(1):1-18
- Streffer C, (1995) Molecular and cellular mechanism of hyperthermia In: Seegenschmiedt MH., Fessenden P., Vernon CC. (Eds.) Thermo-radiotherapy and Thermo-chemotherapy, Vol. 1. Biology, physiology and physics, Springer Verlag, Berlin Heidelberg, pp. 47-74
- Roti JL, Laszlo A (1988) The effects of hyperthermia on cellular macromolecules. In: Urano M, Douple E (eds) Hyperthermia and Oncology Vol 1, Thermal effects on cells and tissues, VSP Utrecht, The Netherlands, pp 13-56
- Okumura Y, Ihara M, Shimasaki T, Takeshita S, Okaichi K (2001) Heat inactivation of DNA-dependent protein kinase: possible mechanism of hyperthermic radio-sensitization, in: Thermotherapy for Neoplasia, Inflammation, and Pain, (Kosaka M, Sugahara T, Schmidt KL, Simon E (Eds.)), Springer Verlag Tokyo pp. 420-423
