Cancer

Cancer is a disease in which cells in the body multiply out of control and spread to other parts of the body.

Under normal conditions, human cells form and multiply (through a process called cell division) to form new cells as they are needed by the body. When cells become old or damaged, they die and new cells replace them.

Sometimes the process does not follow this order and abnormal or damaged cells form and multiply when they should not. These cells may form tumours, which are lumps of tissue.

Tag Archive for: Cancer

Chemotherapy and Oncothermia association

Chemotherapy and Oncothermia association

Lower and less toxic doses of chemotherapy by combining it with Oncothermia and complementary treatments.

Modelo EHY-2000 de Oncothermia

Professor Dr. med. Alexander Herzog, Chief-physician, Fachklinik Dr. Herzog, Germany has published a recent clinical study in the Oncothermia journal. He also presented it at the 35th ICHS, Guangzhou, China, 2017. The study explains the results in the use of lower and less toxic doses of chemotherapy when combined with hyperthermia and complementary treatments.

Electro-hyperthermia (Oncothermia) is an important tool for improving the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation in cancer.

Numerous studies have been published on Oncothermia treatment in cell cultures, in animal experiments, but also in patients. Furthermore, these studies include randomised studies, phase 2 studies, but also many successful case reports that provide evidence for the benefit of Oncothermia.

Methods:

Oncothermy means heating the cancerous tissue up to 42°C (107.6°F). In several experiments, it has been shown that chemotherapy works more efficiently if the temperature of the cancer tissue is increased. There can be a linear or even exponential increase in the activity of cytostatic drugs.

The Oncotherm device with 13.56 MHz and energies up to 150 watts was used. The local treatment takes 1 hour for each session. In addition, such treatment can be repeated frequently (the interval between 2 treatments should be at least 48 hours to avoid thermal tolerance).

Chemotherapy is administered simultaneously with a local Oncothermia session.

Results for a selection of different cancers:

♦ ENT-Cancers:

The standard chemotherapy in these cases would be a rather toxic 5-day programme of cisplatin together with 5-FU as a continuous infusion. Together with oncothermia, a 4-day programme would be sufficient.

♦ Non-small cell lung cancer:

The dosing regimen would follow platinum-based chemotherapy, but the doses of Carboplatin and Gemcitabine or Vinorelbine could be reduced by approximately 20%, if applied together with Oncothermia.

♦ Colorectal cancer:

Chemotherapy protocols in colorectal cancer are mainly the FOLFOX protocol and the Folfiri protocol, which can be combined with Bevacizumab or Cetuximab antibodies. Together with Oncothermia, the dose of Oxaliplatin would be kept at the standard level. Irinotecan could be reduced. 5-FU administered as a chronomodulated treatment at night with 50% of the dose between 2 a.m. and 6 a.m. could also be significantly reduced. In addition, Capecitabine can be used together with Oncothermia at a reduced dose.

♦ Ovarian and cervical cancers:

In ovarian and cervical cancer, the standard chemotherapy is Carboplatin and the neurotoxic drug Paclitaxel. Together with Oncothermia, Carboplatin could be combined with a less toxic dose of Cyclophosphamide, which is a drug with potentiation of its activity under hyperthermic conditions.

♦ Breast cancer:

In one study, it has been shown that 70-80% of breast cancer patients respond to a treatment programme with local oncothermia together with moderate doses of chemotherapy.

Reduces toxicity

In conjunction with oncothermia, it is possible to use chemotherapy in more moderate doses. This reduces toxicity. Above all, it helps patients in particular in the palliative situation to preserve quality of life. It also allows for more regular treatments and for a longer period of time which is possibly very important to improve survival times.

Sources:

Herzog A. (2018): Lower and less toxic doses of chemotherapy by combining it with hyperthermia and complementary treatments; Oncothermia Journal 22:46-56

Breast Cancer treated with Chemotherapy and Oncothermia

Breast Cancer treated with Chemotherapy and Oncothermia

The following is the clinical case of a 51 year old female patient. The diagnosis is infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the left breast. She was treated with chemotherapy, combined with oncothermia.

Diagnosis

She presented in May 2016 with breast cancer, infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the left breast. Consequently, the MRI shows multiple and extensive irregular confluent foci. In addition, the cancer forms a mass measuring 79 mm x 52 mm x 58 mm extending to the nipple-areola complex with infiltration of the dermis.

Treatment

In June 2016 she started chemotherapy with Paclitaxel and Trastuzumab. Subsequently, in August 2016, oncothermia treatment was started, with 60-minute sessions.

Result

In October 2016 a breast MRI is performed for control, after the administration of 9 sessions of chemotherapy and 6 sessions of 60-minute oncothermia.

The result of the MRI shows disappearance of the tumour mass indicating a complete response to treatment.

Consequently, the patient refuses surgical treatment as there is no tumour mass and continues with radiological controls. In October 2018 the patient has shown no signs of recurrence.

If you wish, you can find more information about breast cancer treated with Oncothermia on our website at this link.

Pancreatic Cancer treated with Oncothermia, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

Pancreatic Cancer treated with Oncothermia, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy

The following is a case report of a 72 year old female patient. The diagnosis is pancreatic cancer. She was treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy, combined with oncothermia.

Diagnosis

She presented in March 2017 with a 4 cm tumour in the neck of the pancreas. In particular, the biopsy shows adenocarcinoma.

Treatment

He could not be resected surgically and started chemotherapy with Folfirinox together with 10 sessions of 90 minutes of Oncothermia.

Subsequently, in July 2017, a control CT scan was performed, showing a tumour reduction of 50%. He then started treatment with radiotherapy plus 10 sessions of 90-minute oncothermia.

Result

A new CT scan in June 2018 showed tumour stability with Ca 19-9 CEA tumour markers within normal limits.

If you wish, you can find more information about pancreatic cancer treated with Oncothermia on our website at this link.

Effects of the addition of electro-hyperthermia (Oncothermia) to chemoradiotherapy in cancer of the cervix. Randomized clinical trial – Phase III.

Dr. Minara CA of the University of Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, South Africa has published in the journal Oncothermia journal 21:56 57, 2017 an update on the phase III randomized clinical trial investigating the effects of the addition of electrons hyperthermia to chemoradiotherapy for patients with cancer of the cervix in South Africa.

The electrohyperthermia (EHT) trial is an ongoing phase III randomized clinical trial that is conducted at the Charlotte Maxeke Johannesburg Academic Hospital. The overall objective is to determine the clinical effects of the addition of modulated electrohyperthermia (EHT) to standard treatment protocols for locally advanced cervical cancer patients in state health care in South Africa. The objectives are to evaluate the effects of the addition of EHT on local control of the disease, quality of life, acute and late toxicity and overall survival.

Methods:

The purpose of the study is to treat 236 women with a FIGO IIB to IIIB stage of cervical cancer. Participants are randomly assigned to a group of “Hyperthermia” (EHT plus chemoradiation) and a group of “Control” (chemoradiation alone), strata of randomization: HIV status; years; stage of the disease. All participants receive external radiation of 50 Gy, 3 doses of brachytherapy with a high dose rate of 8 Gy and cisplatin. The “Oncothermia” group receives two local EHT treatments of 55 minutes per week during radiation therapy. Local control of the disease is evaluated by positron emission tomography (PET) scans. Adverse events, quality of life and overall survival are recorded and the data analyzed.

Results:

The first 100 participants are evaluated until they reach 6 months after treatment.

There has been a positive trend in the survival and local control of the disease in the group receiving OT.

There are no significant differences in acute adverse events or quality of life between the two groups.

The preliminary results of the addition of EHT are positive without impact on adverse events, however, this should be confirmed with more patients at the end of the study.

Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia (mEHT) in cancer patients: experiences on 110 patients

Artícle written by Giammaria Fiorentini, Donatella Sarti, Virginia Casadei, Caterina Fiorentini

Onco-Ematology Department, Azienda Ospedaliera “Ospedati Riuniti Marche Nord”, 61122 Pesaro, italy

Department of Medical Biothecnologies, Division of Cardiology, University of Siena, 53100 Siena, Italy,

Presented at 36º ICHS, Budapest, 2018

Background and aims:

There has been a significant improvement in the development and application of hyperthermia treatment and there is a continuous interest and ongoing clinical research in the field of hyperthermia. This study aim to evaluate the efficacy in terms of tumor response, pain reduction and improvement of quality of life due to modulated electro- hyperthermia
(mEHT), for the treatment of cancer.

Methods

This was a retrospective observational clinical study. Patients were included in the study if they had >18 years, informed consent signed, indication for treatment with mEHT.

Hyperthermia was performed with short radiofrequency waves of 13.56 MHz using a capacitive coupling technique keeping the skin surface at 26 C°. The applied power ranged between 40-150 Watts and the calculated average equivalent temperature in the tumors was above 41,5 C° for more than 90% of the treatment duration (20-60 minutes gradually).

Results

Characteristics of patients

110 consecutive patients were enrolled in the study, tumor distribution was: 11 (10%) colon, 11 (10%), ovary, 10 (9%) central nervous system, 10 (9%) breast, 10 (9%) liver (cholangiocarcinoma and HCC), 10 (9%) lung, 9 (8%) pancreas, 8 (7%) prostate, 5 (5%) pseudo mixoma peritoneii, 5 (5%) stomach, 4 (5%) melanoma, 2(2%) mesothelioma, 3(3%) bladder, 3 (3%) liposarcome and 11 (10%) other type of tumor. Other chracteristics of the
sample were: 50% presence of metastasis, 70% received concomitant radio or chemotherapy and median number of mEHT cycles was 8 (range 1-37).

Tumor response analysis three months after mEHT showed 3% complete remission and 41% partial remission, 31 % of stable disease and 25% of progression. Median pain intensity and quality of life improved in 85% of the sample. mEHT toxicity was mostly mild (G1). The small total number of adverse events (5%) in this study supports the strong safety profile of mEHT. No complications were observed during the treatments. Cardiac evaluation was performed for all patients with EKG and echocardiography before and after the last cycle of mEHT. No significant variations were observed.

Figure 1. Tumor response (3 months)

Conclusion

mEHT appears to have promising efficacy in adults with several types of tumor and it can be considered as a highly indicated palliative therapy.

Figure 2. Patient with squamous cellular intraoral tumor
a) baseline, b) one and c) three months after mEHT.
The tumor arises from the gum and perforates the cheek.
Figure 3. Patient, 49yrs with breast cancer and bone metastases.
a) CT scans at baseline showed partial osteolytic metastases (arrow) in thoracic vertebrae.
b) Three months after mEHT, osseous lesions din not change in size, but showed osteoblastic reaction (arrows in B), representing good response, and disappearance of the back pain.

Text extracted from Oncothermia Journal, Volumen 24, October 2018.

www.oncothermia-journal.com/journal/2018/Efficacy_of_Modulated_electro_hyperthermia_(mEHT)_in_cancer_ patients.pdf