Hyperthermia Therapy

Hyperthermia Therapy

You can have more treatment choices to fight against cancer

　　In recent 20 years, hyperthermia has been regarded as a safe and effective complementary therapy for cancer treatment in many developed countries like Europe, USA and Japan. It has aroused the global attention in the medical society and become the fifth treatment modality in addition to surgery, chemotherapy, radiotherapy and immunotherapy.

Advanced, Integrated, Comprehensive Hyperthermia Treatment Center

　　The Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) was introduced into Wanfang Hospital in 2000. In 2016, BSD 2000 was utilized for deep pelvic cavity hyperthermia treatment. Currently, the superficial (BSD500) and whole body hyperthermia have also been developed to offer comprehensive service in the Center.

　　Cancer cells are very sensitive to temperature. When they are heated to 42-43 Celsius degrees in vitro, most cancer cells are going to die. Therefore, if the tumor can be heated up to this temperature range, it will not only promote the apoptosis (cell death) but also facilitate blood circulation to reduce the hypoxic and acidic microenvironment. The additional benefit has been proved when hyperthermia treatment was combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy.

Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy, HIPEC

　　Wanfang Hospital began its first HIPEC procedure in 2000 for treating gastric cancer with intra-abdominal metastases after tumor reduction surgery. It became a standard procedure after 2002 and was subsequently extended to treatment of other cancers with intra-abdominal spread.

With the accumulated experiences and practices, the surgical complications and surgery-related deaths have been declining year by year, and surpassed many of the developed countries in terms of the success rate. Currently, we are the only medical team able to prove the long-term survival benefits of this treatment modality in Taiwan. The satisfactory treatment results have been published in the international medical journals.

Indications: diffused cancer metastasis within the peritoneal cavity.

Cancer Types: peritoneal mesothelioma; peritoneal carcinomatosis resulting from colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, ovarian cancer, appendix cancer, peritoneal pseudomyxoma, endometrial cancer, fallopian tube cancer, pancreatic cancer and ruptured hepatocellular carcinoma.

Procedure of HIPEC:

Surgical removal of abdominal tumor with peritoneal dissection for tumor cyto-reduction (residual tumor thickness shall be less than 0.25 cm).
In combination with intraperitoneal thermo-chemotherapy (perfusion of thermo-chemotherapy solution up to 42-43 °C for 1 hour) during operation. The heat applied to the abdominal cavity will kill both the free cancer cells and residual tumors.

Deep Regional Hyperthermia

　　　Deep regional hyperthermia has been used for many years and has been approved by Taiwan Ministry of Health and Welfare. Taking the advantage of being "radiation-free and non-invasive", it applies radio-frequency (RF) energy to heat the deep-seated tumor cells during the procedure. Once the tumor has been heated to 40-43 °C, the repair and replication of DNA by cancer cells will be interfered, and will enhance the effects of concurrent chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

　　The hyperthermia therapy focuses on the tumor areas, its surrounding normal tissues are maintained at normal body temperature by their own blood circulation, and will not be damaged. At present, deep regional hyperthermia has been mainly used in combination with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. Patients can receive chemotherapy or radiotherapy in the morning, followed by the hyperthermia few hours later. Hospitalization is not required. Weekly or twice a week hyperthermia treatment as an adjuvant cancer therapy will bring up better outcome.

　　Indications: combined with chemotherapy or radiotherapy for deep pelvic cavity primary or recurrent cancer such as cervical cancer, bladder cancer, colorectal cancer, pelvic malignant sarcoma and other cancers etc.