Hyperthermia increases the treatment response rate for some previously irradiated tumors by 44 percent more than radiation alone(2).

External hyperthermia has been successfully used to improve the response rate of radiation or chemotherapy. Many randomized and scientifically conducted research by respected scientists have shown that the response rate can be doubled when hyperthermia is combined with external beam radiation. External hyperthermia is generally used for superficial tumors that do not exceed 4 to 5 centimeter in depth.

Hyperthermia uses an external applicator, which is applied to the outside of patient’s body on or near the tumor. The applicator looks like a box and has a plastic water-filled bag at the bottom which will lie next to patient. In a typical external treatment, the patient lays on a therapy table so that he or she can be comfortably positioned for treatment. A physicist or therapists monitors the temperature to make sure the temperature of the tumor reaches the therapeutic temperature (106º to 110º Fahrenheit). The treatment time is generally between 30 minutes to 60 minutes.

Cyrus Rafie, the Medical Physicist at the Center for Thermal Oncology, is one the most experienced user of hyperthermia worldwide with more than 25 years of experience in hyperthermia research and treatment delivery. He is a published expert and speaker in this field. Cyrus Rafie has been involved in hyperthermia treatments of more than 2,500 patients, totaling more than 12,000 treatment sessions. The patients were treated utilizing a variety of hyperthermia technologies such as ultrasound, microwave and localized current field, as well as using different techniques (deep, superficial, interstitial) to achieve the maximum result for each patient.  Cyrus Rafie can be reached at The Center for Thermal Oncology, (888) 580-5900, or www.ThermalOncology.com.