Esophageal Cancer Treatment – Local Hyperthermia

Local Hyperthermia for Esophageal Cancer

Hyperthermia is a type of treatment in which esophageal tissue is exposed to extremely high temperatures of up to 106ºF. These high temperatures are applied to a very small area only, such as an esophageal cancer tumor. This can either help to damage and kill esophageal cancer cells, or to make them more sensitive to the effects of radiation and/or select chemotherapy drugs.

A well-established method of esophageal cancer treatment, local hyperthermia follows a simple basic principle: If a rise in temperature to 106ºF can be obtained for one hour within a cancer tumor, the cancer cells will be destroyed. Local hyperthermia is particularly useful in the treatment of primary malignant tumors, whose poor blood circulation makes them more sensitive to changes in temperature.

Hyperthermia is almost always used with other forms of esophageal cancer therapy (e.g., radiation therapy, chemotherapy, biotherapy/immunotherapy) to increase their effectiveness. During your esophageal cancer treatment, local hyperthermia may heat the affected area either externally or internally. External local hyperthermia works by aiming high-frequency waves at an esophageal cancer tumor from a device outside the body. Internal local hyperthermia works by using one of several types of sterile probes to achieve internal heating, including thin, heated wires or hollow tubes filled with warm water; implanted microwave antennae; and radio frequency electrodes.

CTCA uses a Sonotherm 1000 to administer ultrasound waves to solid esophageal cancer tumors. This technique uses ultra-high frequency sound waves to externally heat the tumor. Ultrasound is more easily focused than other energy modalities, and can be applied to tumors located from the skin to 8 centimeters within your body. This allows the treatment of esophageal tumors that are unreachable by other external modalities. Ultrasound doesn't require the use of radio wave shielding devices to protect medical personnel during esophageal cancer treatment.

Hyperthermia perfusion is another delivery approach offered by CTCA. It uses a warmed solution containing anticancer drugs to bathe or pass through the blood vessels of the esophagus. Some of your blood is removed, heated and then pumped (perfused) into the region that is to be heated internally.

Hyperthermia does not usually cause marked increase in side effects of esophageal cancer radiation treatments. If heat is applied directly to the skin, however, hyperthermia can cause discomfort or even significant local pain in about half the people treated with this procedure. It can also cause blisters, which generally heal rapidly (depending on the health of the patient’s skin). Less commonly, it can cause burns.

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