-
Hyperthermia
Fact Sheet
the National
Cancer Institute, USA.
Personal experiences
with hyperthermia.
INTRODUCTION:
No single therapy or protocol can combat disease
all alone. There is no 'magic pill'. The mind/body connection
and diet must always be addressed first and
foremost, and then healing tools and intergrative
therapies may be applied, such as Hyperthermia,
also known as Thermal
Therapy, for serious detoxification.
Whilst Thermal Therapy is
widely used across Europe and Asia, it is limited
in the USA as conventional American protocols are
still experimenting with it and often utilizing
crude forms of delivery such as metal probes.
Far Infrared thermal therapy
available to the public for home health
maintenance and support, are in the form of a
lamp, fabric, or sauna. Pure far infrared is a
'dry' heat used in close proximity to the body for
optimal penetration, as can be seen in the large
thermal therapy 'incubation' units used in
European health clinics. Clothing does not have to
be removed.
Anyone who has received Thermal Therapy in
Europe will attest it is not inexpensive - clinic
fees, hotel cost, travel expenses etc - but
results are often worthwhile. However, for those
wishing to use thermal therapy units in their
home, it must be stressed that ...
a) Research must be done to find a unit
that will provide optimal benefits
b) Thermal Therapy is an intergrative
modality that may be used alongside conventional
protocol if so desired.
c) Emotions and diet MUST be addressed
d) Suitable
health care practitioners should be consulted with
throughout the journey to recovery.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
When reading the American NCI document below,
please keep in mind that
a few methods
discussed are crude and involve probes which
can burn the body. Asian and European Far
Infrared units (not traditional saunas
which give wet heat), are far more advanced
and do not use probes,
therefore there is no damage to the body
of any kind, just
pure Far Infrared dry heat which does NOT burn or harm
the body, only heal it.
The National Cancer Institute
(NCI)
- is the U.S. government’s principal agency for
cancer research.
Below is the NCI's
Hyperthermia Fact Sheet: www.cancer.gov/about-cancer/treatment/types/surgery/hyperthermia-fact-sheet
 NCI
Fact Sheet: What is hyperthermia?
"Hyperthermia (also called thermal
therapy or thermotherapy) is a type of cancer
therapy in which body tissue is exposed to high
temperatures (up to 113°F). Research has shown
that high temperatures can damage and kill cancer
cells, usually with minimal injury to normal
tissues (1). By killing cancer cells and damaging
proteins and structures within cells (2),
hyperthermia may shrink tumors.
Hyperthermia is under study in clinical trials
(research studies with people) and is not widely
available (in the U.S.).
How is
hyperthermia used to treat cancer?
Hyperthermia is almost always used with other
forms of cancer therapy, such as radiation therapy
and chemotherapy (1, 3). Hyperthermia may make
some cancer cells more sensitive to radiation or
harm other cancer cells that radiation cannot
damage. When hyperthermia and radiation therapy
are combined, they are often given within an hour
of each other. Hyperthermia can also enhance the
effects of certain anticancer drugs.
Numerous
clinical trials have studied hyperthermia in
combination with radiation therapy and/or
chemotherapy. These
studies have focused on the treatment of many
types of cancer, including sarcoma, melanoma, and
cancers of the head and neck, brain, lung,
esophagus, breast, bladder, rectum, liver,
appendix, cervix, and peritoneal lining
(mesothelioma) (1, 3–7). Many of these studies,
but not all, have shown a significant reduction in
tumor size when hyperthermia is combined with
other treatments (1, 3, 6, 7). However, not all of
these studies have shown increased survival in
patients receiving the combined treatments (3, 5,
7).
What are the
different methods of hyperthermia?
Several methods of hyperthermia are currently
under study, including local, regional, and
whole-body hyperthermia (1, 3–9).
In local hyperthermia, heat is applied to a small
area, such as a tumor, using various techniques
that deliver energy to heat the tumor. Different
types of energy may be used to apply heat,
including microwave, radio frequency, and
ultrasound. Depending on the tumor location, there
are several approaches to local hyperthermia:
External approaches are used
to treat tumors that are in or just below the
skin. External applicators are positioned around
or near the appropriate region, and energy is
focused on the tumor to raise its temperature.
Intraluminal or endocavitary
methods may be used to treat tumors within or near
body cavities, such as the esophagus or rectum.
Probes are placed inside the cavity and inserted
into the tumor to deliver energy and heat the area
directly.
Interstitial techniques are
used to treat tumors deep within the body, such as
brain tumors. This technique allows the tumor to
be heated to higher temperatures than external
techniques. Under anesthesia, probes or needles
are inserted into the tumor. Imaging techniques,
such as ultrasound, may be used to make sure the
probe is properly positioned within the tumor. The
heat source is then inserted into the probe.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a type of
interstitial hyperthermia that uses radio waves to
heat and kill cancer cells.
In regional hyperthermia,
various approaches may be used to heat large areas
of tissue, such as a body cavity, organ, or limb. Deep tissue approaches
may be used to treat cancers within the body, such
as cervical or bladder cancer. External
applicators are positioned around the body cavity
or organ to be treated, and microwave or
radiofrequency energy is focused on the area to
raise its temperature.
Regional perfusion
techniques can be used to focus on cancers
in the arms and legs, such as melanoma, or cancer
in some organs, such as the liver or lung. In this
procedure, some of the patient’s blood is removed,
heated, and then pumped (perfused) back into the
limb or organ. Anticancer drugs are commonly given
during this time.
Continuous hyperthermic
peritoneal perfusion (CHPP) is a technique used to
treat cancers within the peritoneal cavity (the
space within the abdomen that contains the
intestines, stomach, and liver), including primary
peritoneal mesothelioma and stomach cancer. During
surgery, heated anticancer drugs flow from a
warming device through the peritoneal cavity. The
peritoneal cavity temperature reaches 106-108°F.
Whole-body hyperthermia is
used to treat metastatic cancer that has spread
throughout the body. This can be accomplished by
several techniques that raise the body temperature
to 107-108°F, including the use of thermal
chambers (similar to large incubators) or hot
water blankets.
The effectiveness of
hyperthermia treatment is related to the
temperature achieved during the treatment, as well
as the length of treatment and cell and tissue
characteristics (1, 2). To ensure that the desired
temperature is reached, but not exceeded, the
temperature of the tumor and surrounding tissue is
monitored throughout hyperthermia treatment (3, 5,
7). Using local anesthesia, the doctor inserts
small needles or tubes with tiny thermometers into
the treatment area to monitor the temperature.
Imaging techniques, such as CT (computed
tomography), may be used to make sure the probes
are properly positioned (5).
Does
hyperthermia have any complications or side
effects?
Most normal tissues are not damaged during
hyperthermia if the temperature remains under
111°F. However, due to regional differences in
tissue characteristics, higher temperatures may
occur in various spots. This can result in burns,
blisters, discomfort, or pain (1, 5, 7). Perfusion
techniques can cause tissue swelling, blood clots,
bleeding, and other damage to the normal tissues
in the perfused area; however, most of these side
effects are temporary. Whole-body hyperthermia can
cause more serious side effects, including cardiac
and vascular disorders, but these effects are
uncommon (1, 3, 7). Diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting
are commonly observed after whole-body
hyperthermia (7).
What does the
future hold for hyperthermia?
A number of challenges must be overcome before
hyperthermia can be considered a standard therapy
for cancer (1, 3, 6, 7). Many clinical trials are
being conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of
hyperthermia. Some trials continue to research
hyperthermia in combination with other therapies
for addressing different cancers. Other studies
focus on improving hyperthermia techniques.
To learn more about clinical trials, call NCI’s
Cancer Information Service (CIS) at 1 800 4 CANCER or visit
Clinical Trials Information for Patients and
Caregivers.
Selected References
1) van der Zee J. Heating the patient: a promising
approach? Annals of Oncology 2002;
13(8):1173–1184. [PubMed Abstract]
2) Hildebrandt B, Wust P,
Ahlers O, et al. The cellular and molecular basis
of hyperthermia. Critical Reviews in
Oncology/Hematology 2002; 43(1):33–56. [PubMed
Abstract]
3) Wust P, Hildebrandt B,
Sreenivasa G, et al. Hyperthermia in combined
therapy of cancer. The Lancet Oncology 2002;
3(8):487–497. [PubMed Abstract]
4) Alexander HR. Isolation
perfusion. In: DeVita VT Jr., Hellman S, Rosenberg
SA, editors. Cancer: Principles and Practice of
Oncology. Vol. 1 and 2. 6th ed. Philadelphia:
Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, 2001.
5) Falk MH, Issels RD.
Hyperthermia in oncology. International Journal of
Hyperthermia 2001; 17(1):1–18. [PubMed Abstract]
6) Dewhirst MW, Gibbs FA Jr,
Roemer RB, Samulski TV. Hyperthermia. In:
Gunderson LL, Tepper JE, editors. Clinical
Radiation Oncology. 1st ed. New York, NY:
Churchill Livingstone, 2000.
7) Kapp DS, Hahn GM, Carlson
RW. Principles of Hyperthermia. In: Bast RC Jr.,
Kufe DW, Pollock RE, et al., editors. Cancer
Medicine e.5. 5th ed. Hamilton, Ontario: B.C.
Decker Inc., 2000.
8) Feldman AL, Libutti SK,
Pingpank JF, et al. Analysis of factors associated
with outcome in patients with malignant peritoneal
mesothelioma undergoing surgical debulking and
intraperitoneal chemotherapy. Journal of Clinical
Oncology 2003; 21(24):4560–4567. [PubMed Abstract]
9) Chang E, Alexander HR,
Libutti SK, et al. Laparoscopic continuous
hyperthermic peritoneal perfusion. Journal of the
American College of Surgeons 2001; 193(2):225–229.
[PubMed Abstract]
International Personal
Exeriences.
Far infrared
thermal therapy and
conventional protocol.
USA, MEXICO, CANADA.
All of the
individuals below followed conventional cancer
protocols and maintained contact with their
doctors, besides addressing their diet and
implementing additional modalities using intergrative
therapies of their own choosing.
 Keeping her body
in balance, no fear.
"At age 35, on New Years Eve
2003 I found a lump in my left breast that turned
out to be breast cancer. My life was about to change
drastically. I had two lumpectomies to remove the
cancer and a sentinel lymph node biopsy that showed
lymph node involvement. The cancer was diagnosed
stage 2b. I underwent 4 months of dose dense chemo.
This is chemo every two weeks. My first cocktail of
chemo was Adriamycin and Cytoxan. My second round of
chemo was Taxotere. These drugs were very hard for
me to tolerate. I suffered from the usual chemo side
effects that included nausea, body aches, shortness
of breath, low energy, complete hair loss, extreme
swelling and many other unfavorable side effects. I
did manage to maintain a positive outlook through
out my treatments. On July 7, 2004 I had a bilateral
mastectomy and reconstruction. I wanted to prevent
any chance of a breast cancer re-occurrence.
My life
was almost back to normal in January of 2005. I
had finished all of my reconstructive surgeries. I
was like most Americans doing too much too quickly
and was right back in my hectic routine. I changed
jobs in June and the training was intense. I
started in my new sales territory August I, 2005.
Life was good.
I was
asked to participate in an interview for breast
cancer awareness month for a local hospital giving
complimentary mammograms to 200 patients. On
Halloween 2005, the last day of breast cancer
awareness month I performed a self breast exam and
found a suspicious lump. I had surgery to remove
the lump that turned out to be breast cancer again
at 37.
I met
with my oncologist who scared me senseless with
his talk of how grave and serious the
re-occurrence was being only 17 months out from my
last chemo treatment. My mother and I left the
hospital in tears and I told her I would never see
that doctor again because he did not think I would
beat this. My cancer was totally different than my
first cancer and this diagnosis was stage 4. I had
a PET/CT scan that showed lymph node involvement
with malignancy behind my left clavicle bone, left
of my trachea, two para-aortic nodes, and a large
focal area on my liver between the left and right
lobes. I was in serious trouble.
After
many prayers as to why this happened to me again
... a dear friend of mine called me on the
phone and told me about a wellness consultant,
Mary Miltenberger in Cumberland, Maryland. She
specializes in patients the doctors have given up
on.
Body Mind and
Spirit:
Mary introduced to me the concept of body, mind
and spirit healing. I started taking supplements
to get my immune system back on track. I
changed my lifestyle
eating habits to all organic foods, no dairy,
no refined sugar or red meat. I used
Frankincense, a therapeutic grade essential
oil over all the areas where the cancer was
seen on the scans.
I used
far infrared thermal therapy for an hour, and did
aerobic exercise for 5 minutes twice a day for 8
straight days. I started to feel better and better
as each day passed. Everyone commented on how good
I was looking. I would reply "I feel terrific." Mary encouraged me to use far
infrared thermal therapy as much as possible,
knowing I had another scan coming up."
Stacey - Intergrative Therapies.
"I had a
repeat CT scan with and without contrast to have a
liver biopsy done a month later. Well, we could
not find the lesion in my liver it was so ill
defined. The lymph nodes were all back to normal
size and no new lesions seen within the liver,
spleen, pancreas, adrenal glands or kidneys.
I am
continuing my far infrared heat
therapy and aerobic exercise. I have more energy
than ever and I feel fantastic. Oh by the way, the swelling I
(still) had from the chemo is completely gone, and
I've lost 25 pounds. I have stopped fearing the
return of cancer ... I have gotten the fear out of
my mind." - Stacey
Sprenkle, April 2006, USA.
 Cáncer de mama.
"Doy gracias al Señor y a mis
amigas Lolys y Conchita que me dieron a conocer
estos maravillosos aparatos, hace dos años me
diagnosticaron cáncer de mama, después de 6
quimioterapias y 25 radiaciones continuaron los
chequeos de rutina. Hace 3 meses que uso los
aparatos diariamente, far infrared de 2 a 3 horas
y exercise de 5 a 15 minutos, la electrotherap 1
hora. Los últimos análisis salieron
excelentes, el oncólogo dijo: Señora hace 4 meses
sus exámenes eran dudosos, ahora todo está muy
bien. Los recomiendo como preventivos y para los
enfermos que van a dejar de sufrir, de inmediato
se sienten resultados. Son rejuvenecedores,
regeneran células. Si desean ser productivos y
activos durante toda su vida le invito a usar
estos aparatos, cambiarán sus vidas." - VIRGINIA BARBOZA, MONTERREY,
NUEVO LEON, MEXICO.
 Less
pain.
"I have owned and operated a very successful
therapeutic massage therapy business since 1996. I
have a young client who had intestinal cancer as an
external growth, diagnosed in May 2004. Being an
external growth with just a skin covering, it was easy
too see the extreme large size of it, like a big
grapefruit.
She borrowed our far infrared
dome unit last fall, September 2004, and used it for
two full weekends - 6 days and nights in total. She
used it for all of each day, only stopping to eat
and go to the bathroom. In those two weekends she
reported her tumour was shrunk from the size of a
grapefruit to the size of a golf ball. Also, while
using the thermal therapy she said her pain was less
than 1/2 and most of her body and leg swelling
disappeared too.
When it was finally operated
on, in January 2005, the doctor said it resembled a
shriveled, dried up prune." - Brenda Rose Natural Treatments,
Brandon, Manitoba, Canada.
A love
story.
"In January of 2006, Eileen used far infrared thermal
therapy for the first time to maintain healthy lung
function. Joan (her neighbor), went over to her place
and lent her the unit and rubbed her chest and back
with some essential oils. Eileen slept under the unit
and also used it in the daytime as well for about 3
days. Eileen was so impressed with the benefits that
she and her husband, Vic, purchased heir own. They
both started doing aerobic exerise twice a day.
About
the middle of February 2006, Vic was diagnosed
with stage four colon cancer and was told by
doctors that he and Eileen would have possible
another year together. He continued to passive
aerobic exercise twice a day, slept under the far
infrared unit and also spent as much time as
possible during the day under it. Eileen set her
alarm for every hour during the night so she could
get up and reset the units for Vic who was
sleeping under them.
"The
doctors had told Vic that he would have a
colostomy after surgery. On March 7, 2006, Vic has
his surgery and eighteen inches of his colon was
removed, however, he did not have to have the
colostomy. The surgeon then informed Vic that they
did not get all the cancer and that he would have
to have another surgery. He was given some
medication in pill form but did not have to have
chemotherapy. After 8 days in the hospital, Vic
returned home and started using the far infared
unit again frequently. Then 2 months after the
surgery, Vic started the aerobic exercise again
also.
In June,
Vic went back to his oncologist who told him his
blood tests were good. He then inquired what Vic
had been doing, so he told the doctor about the
units and the doctor asked for some data. Vic and Eileen went back to see
the doctor in July 2006 and gave the doctor the
data he had requested. At that time the doctor
informed them that Vic was healthy and would not
need further surgery." - Joan Lefaivre, friend and
neighbor, Canada.
Alternative
therapies.
In May 2006, Jean Wiliams of
Winnipeg, Manitoba, was told that she had advanced
cancer. In November 2006, Jean is healthy and this
is her story.
"Back in
May, following 4 days of lower abdominal pain,
nausea, vomiting and bloating. Jean had to undergo
an active investigation in an acute care hospital. A CT Scan revealed a large pelvic
mass, which was thought to be an ovarian cancer
and multiple pulmonary nodules were present
bilateral. This is most consistent with
metastasis. There was also a defect in her left
kidney. This information was taken directly from
reports from the hospital and cancer care.
Jean was
sent home with a long acting analgesic and with
Percocet 10mgs for breakthrough pain. The wait for
cancer care and the treatment plan began. After
waiting for one month, we decided we could not
wait any longer and do nothing, so the alternative
therapies were to begin.
Up to
this time, Jean gave up her job as a school bus
driver since bouncing about and sitting caused her
pain, and a short walk resulted in a feeling of
lower abdominal pressure and pain. As well, she
had trouble sleeping and needed pain medication.
Jean was
put to bed in my home and two far infrared units
were placed over her chest and abdomen for 24hrs.
Her blood pressure, pulse and respiration's were
monitored by me and were stable. She got up only
to go to the bathroom. Jean had her meals in bed
and drank lots of fluid. Just 5 days after this
period there was no more pain.
Change in diet:
While lying under the units, my good friend Karen
and i talked to Jean about a herbal regime and Dr.
Johanna Budwig's anti-cancer diet. The purpose was
to change her intestinal environment to make her
body hostile to invaders. Jean is a naturally
positive person with a fine sense of humor and so
also introducing positive thinking and
visualization was easy for her. We made a phone
call to Calgary and Jean spoke to another cancer
survivor. Our alternative plan was put into place.
5 days
layer, Jean started on her herbal plan and the
anti-cancer diet. This was followed very
diligently for 30 days and modified at Jean's
request. Jean continued on using the far infrared
thermal therapy for 1 hour each morning and 1 hour
in bed at night. Aerobic exercise was done twice
daily to increase her oxygen levels and other
benefits.
Sweat Lodge for
detoxification:
Also, our other sister Barbara, practices
Traditional Native Medicine and so we arranged for
the three of us to attend a Sundance and another
time for a Native Sweat Lodge. Jean had wonderful
support from her friends and if her husband was
out of town i was able to stay overnight. I was
always beside her when she was using the far
infrared. We talked into the night. We all kept
our positiveness even though there was such an
emotional roller coaster felt by her family,
friends and siblings.
Eventually,
Cancer Care did a needle biopsy of her lungs with
no result and in search for a primary site for
ovarian cancer, Jean was scheduled for major
abdominal surgery on September 28th, 2006. In the
meantime, we saw Jean getting better and better
with more endurance and energy. She went back to
driving her car and returning to doing fun things
like visiting her friends.
Jean had
her surgery on September 28th, with no cancer
detected. Before her discharge she had a CT Scan.
Jean's oncologist called her on November 17th,
2006 to say her pathology report and her CT Scan
was negative." -
Respectfully submitted by sister Verna Nicolls,
retired R.N. Canada.
Intense
therapy.
November 2010 Diane Bussiers husband was diagnosed
with bladder cancer. Surgery removed a malignant
tumor but doctors then wanted to remove his
bladder, prostate and lymph nodes completely,
along with chemo and radiation. The cancer
specialist said without these traditional
protocols, he would be dead in 6 months.
Diane and her husband decided to utilize
alternative, natural therapy. They used far
infrared thermal therapy for 5 hrs a day coupled
with aerobic exercise and a homeopathic program
for 1 year. Mr. Bussier's doctors confirmed he was
healthy and well. -
Diane Bussiere and her husband reside in
Wakaw, SK.
DISCLAIMER: Personal stories do not
necessarily reflect results that other individuals
may or may not experience. These voluntary
anecdotes from individual users sharing what they
personally experienced, relevant to their
lifestyle and state of health, are not presented
as medical advice and are not intended with the
intention as such. Whilst real-life experiences
can be a helpful resource, they are not a
substitute for medical advice, diagnosis, or guidance from your chosen healthcare
professional.
|
