Chemotherapy

Chemotherapy (chemo) involves using anticancer drugs that can be given intravenously (injected into your vein) or by mouth. In chemotherapy, the drugs pass through the bloodstream to reach cancer cells in most parts of the body.

Chemotherapy may be given before surgery (neoadjuvant) or after surgery (adjuvant).

It can be combined with other treatments such as radiotherapy

Tag Archive for: Chemotherapy

Benefits of vitamin C in chemotherapy-resistant cancer

Benefits of vitamin C in chemotherapy-resistant cancer

The Department of Translational Oncology of the Fundación Jiménez Díaz in Madrid carried out research on Vitamin C. Its ability to reduce tumor resistance to conventional therapies (chemotherapy) by modulating aberrant metabolism was studied.

The research was managed by the Quirónsalud health group, and its Health Research Institute (IIS-FJD). It was also supported by the Universidad Católica San Antonio de Murcia (UCAM).

The study then detected a surprising and previously unreported role of vitamin C in the regulation of pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) activity and its action against the KRAS gene mutation.

Dr Óscar Aguilera, senior research scientist in OncoHealth’s Translational Oncology Department, explained the work:

“We think that metabolic modulation of the tumor can make it much more sensitive to chemotherapy and could significantly increase patients’ life expectancy and improve their quality of life.”

“The almost complete absence of serious side effects of vitamin C in megadoses invites clinical trials with patients in combination with various pharmaceutical molecules of interest.”

Vitamin C and chemotherapy resistance

The authors of the study highlight resistance to conventional chemotherapy and anti-EGFR biologic therapies as the major obstacle facing oncology. The approach of new adjuvant treatments, such as Vitamin C, represents a real progression in cure statistics and in the reduction of cancer mortality.

References

Article published in: https://international.ucam.edu/university-news/significant-advances-effectiveness-vitamin-c-treat-persistent-cancers

More information

You can access the medical study at the following link:

Cenigaonandia-Campillo A, Serna-Blasco R, Gómez-Ocabo L, Solanes-Casado S, Baños-Herraiz N, Puerto-Nevado LD, Cañas JA, Aceñero MJ, García-Foncillas J, Aguilera Ó. Vitamin C activates pyruvate dehydrogenase (PDH) targeting the mitochondrial tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle in hypoxic KRAS mutant colon cancer. Theranostics 2021; 11(8):3595-3606. doi:10.7150/thno.51265. Available from https://www.thno.org/v11p3595.htm

For more information, you can visit our website.

Recurrent malignant glioma treated with Oncothermia

Recurrent malignant glioma treated with Oncothermia

Through an observational retrospective clinical study, the Onco-Ematology Department of “Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord” in Italy evaluates the efficacy and tolerability of Oncothermia (Electro-hyperthermia) for the treatment of recurrent malignant glioma.

Method

This is a retrospective observational clinical study. Patients, diagnosed with malignant glioma, experienced a previous failure with chemotherapy and radiotherapy based on temozolamide. Then, they were told a treatment with Oncothermia (Electro-Hyperthermia).

Oncothermia was performed with short radio waves of 13.56 MHz. The surface temperature of the skin was maintained at 26 ° C. Likewise, the applied power ranged between 40 and 150 watts and the average equivalent temperature calculated in the tumors was above 40 ° C, for more than 90% of the duration of the treatment (20-60 minutes gradually).

Result

Of the 24 patients who were part of the study, 19 (79%) had glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), of which 13 were grade 1-3 and 6 grade 4. The remaining patients (21%) had astrocytoma.

The analysis of tumor response performed two months after the application of Oncotermia (Electro-Hyperthermia), showed the following results:

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  • 2 patients (8%) experienced a complete remission
  • 5 patients (21%) had a partial remission.
  • The average duration of the response was 16 months (range 6-120).

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The median survival of the entire study population was 19.5 months (range 2-156), with 55% survival rate per year and 15% at two years.

In conclusion, the treatment of Oncothermia (Electro-Hyperthermia) seems to have promising efficacy in adults with recurrent malignant glioma.

You can consult the study in the following link.

If you wish, you can find more information about Gliomas treated with Oncotermia on our website.

Oncothermia in the treatment of head and neck cancer

Oncothermia in the treatment of head and neck cancer.

Oncothermia treatment applied in conjunction with radiation or chemotherapy can improve efficacy and increase overall and disease-free survival.

In a recent study published by the Department of Radiation, Oncology at Nanavati Hospital in Mumbai, India, led by Dr. Balabhai, assesses the effects of Oncothermia in conjunction with radiation and chemotherapy.

From a retrospective analysis of patients who received paclitaxel or cisplatin together with radical radiation and weekly sessions of Oncothermia, spectacular survival was obtained in advanced head and neck cancer. Similarly, a randomized trial to assess the role of HT with radiation therapy has shown a statistically significant improvement.

Due to high tobacco use, head and neck cancers constitute a significant burden of all cancers in Indian men.

Method

Patients were randomized to receive radiotherapy (RT) alone (control group), 26 patients, or radiation with Oncothermia (RT + ONC) (trial group), 28 patients.

The mean age of the patients in the control group was 58.42 years (45-76 years) and in the test group it was 57.71 years (31-78 years).

Patients in both groups received radiation up to a total dose of 70 Gy in 7 weeks with conventional fractionation of 5 days a week, without treatment on weekends. On the other hand, patients in the trial group received weekly RF-based ONC in addition to RT. Twenty-one patients in the control group and twenty-two patients in the experimental group received more than 60 Gy.

Result

Initial response was assessed within 7-10 days after completion of treatment, based on clinical evaluation.

A complete response was observed in 11 of 26 (42.4%) patients in the radiation alone group, while 22 of 28 (78.6%) patients had a complete response in the ONC + RT group.

The difference between the mean survival times between the RT + ONC and RT groups was almost 100 days.

In conclusion

Oncothermia is a very powerful hypoxic cell sensitizer. Therefore, Oncothermia together with radiation is an ideal combination to follow. The present randomized study, supported by the Indian Council for Medical Research, has shown a survival benefit from adding Oncothermia to radical radiation therapy.

In conclusion, both the randomized trial and the retrospective data analysis demonstrate a significant improvement in survival due to the addition of Oncothermia.

More information

Study published in the Oncothermia Journal, Volume 10, June 2014. To access the full study, you can consult the following link.

If you wish to expand the information regarding Oncotermia applied to cancers, you can visit the following link.

Combined treatment of Oncothermia for patients with ovarian cancer

Combined treatment of Oncothermia in Multimodal Immunotherapy.

Ovarian cancer is usually a serious disease with a poor prognosis, mainly due to the spread of the disease before diagnosis. Surgery, chemotherapy and antiangiogenesis are essential for first-line treatment. At the time of relapse or metastasis, only palliative treatments can be performed.

However, Active Specific Immunotherapy has proven capable of prolonging overall survival with a good quality of life.

In the following article, different experiences obtained with ovarian cancer patients treated with Multimodal Immunotherapy have been compiled. That is, injections with the Newcastle Disease Virus (NDV), modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT / Oncothermia), IO-VAC® and immunomodulatory strategies such as: ATRA, low dose cyclophosphamide or checkpoint blockers.

The treatment was performed on an outpatient basis, with very positive results.

If you wish, you can find more information about ovarian cancer treated with Oncotermia on our website you can check this link.

Clinical study: Oncothermia as a palliative treatment for pancreatic cancer

Clinical study: Oncothermia as a palliative treatment for pancreatic cancer

Retrospective observational study of 106 patients with pancreatic cancer (pancreatic adenocarcinoma) led by Giammaria Fiorentini M.D., of the Onco-Hematology Department of the “Ospedali Riuniti Marche Nord” Hospital in Pesaro, Italy, treated with Oncothermia.

Pancreatic adenocarcinoma is one of the cancers with the poorest prognosis, resulting in a <10% survival rate at 5 years. Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT – Oncothermia) combines heat-therapy with an electric field and has been increasingly used in cancer therapy alone or in combination with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Methods

Based on retrospective data from 170 patients affected by stage III-IV pancreatic adenocarcinoma, 106 were considered for this study. The sample was divided into two groups: 67 patients that did not receive Oncothermia (non-MEHT) and 39 patients that were treated with Oncothermia (mEHT). 

Oncothermia (mEHT) was performed using a capacitive coupling technique keeping the skin surface at 26°C and 40-42.5°C inside the tumor for > 90% of treatment duration (40-90 minutes). The applied power was 60-150 Watts. Oncothermia was performed in association with chemotherapy in 32 (82%) of patients whereas 7 (18%) received Oncothermia alone. The majority (54%) of no-mEHT group received a second line chemotherapy, whereas 31 (46%) did not receive any further treatment.

Results

106 consecutive patients were enrolled in this study, median age of the sample was 65 (range 31-80) years.

After three months of therapy, tumor response in Oncothermia group was:

  • partial response (PR) in 22 (56%) patients
  • stable disease (SD) in 15 (38%) patients
  • progression disease (PD) in 2 (5%) patients

Tumor response in no-Oncothermia group was:

  • partial response (PR) in 4 (11%) patients
  • stable disease (SD) in 11 (31%) patients
  • progression disease (PD) in 21 (58%) patients.

The median overall survival (OS) of mEHT group was 17.23 (range 2.6-30.4) and 11,33 months (range 0.4-56.25) for non-mEHT group.

In conclusion, Oncothermia may improve tumor response and survival of pancreatic cancer patients.

More information about the study in the following link.

More information about pancreatic cancer treated with Oncothermia on our website (link) or in the following clinical case.

International Lungcancer Symposium

International Lungcancer Symposium

Oncothermia is an adjuvant method for the treatment of cancers, as in the case of Lung Cancer. It stands out for being a non-invasive method that can be combined with radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

Oncothermia is present internationally in congresses and conferences. In these scientific meetings doctors make presentations to disseminate the results of clinical cases.

2nd International Symposium on lung cancer

On April 17, 2016, in Budapest, the 2nd International Symposium on Lung Cancer took place (2nd International Lungcancer Symposium). The conference was organized in different sections. Professor Szasz directed the section: “Oncothermia in Advanced Lung Cancer”, where he presented his latest research and clinical results.

Clinical trials: Oncothermia and Cancer

Ensayos clínicos: Oncothermia y Cáncer

Clinical trials: Oncothermia and Cancer.

Oncothermia is an active part of current medical research. There are several Clinical Trials, in patients with cancer, performed in different hospitals around the world.

Clinical trials are a basic tool for the development of drugs and medical devices, in order to improve the current treatment of diseases and develop health tools worldwide.

Clinicaltrials.gov is an internationally recognized web page, where researchers publish the latest clinical trials that are carried out in different hospitals around the world. Oncothermia is present on this website. We will inform you about the latest advances in Oncothermia and Cancer.

Clinical study of Oncothermia applied to a patient with malignant ascites

The clinical study “Oncothermia + intraperitoneal chemotherapy in malignant ascites: Phase II” (Local mEHT * + TCM Versus Intraperitoneal Chemoinfusion in Treatment of Malignant Ascites: Phase II RCT (OTMA-RII) of Prof. Pang, Clifford Hospital, Guangzhou, China) began to include patients in January 2014 and ended in March 2016. The research included two groups of 130 patients. The “experimental group” will be treated with: diet, Chinese herbal medicine and Oncothermia. Instead, the “control group” will be treated with chemotherapy.

We will be attentive to the conclusions of the study!

* Clinical trial “Oncothermia + intraperitoneal chemotherapy in malignant ascites: Phase II“
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Oncothermia receives the patent as a “tumor vaccine”

Oncothermia como patente cáncer

Oncothermia receives the patent as a “tumor vaccine”

This treatment alerts our immune system by checking the cancer cells.

The Oncothermia EHY-2000 plus device received the patent, US 20150217099 A1 in August 2015, describing this treatment as “a tumor vaccine”. It refers to “a vaccine” because it stimulates the immune system and radiofrequency promotes apoptosis or cell death of tumor cells.

Oncothermia is effective for the primary tumor and its metastases. Therefore, it has a local and systemic effect.

Procedure of action of the “vaccine”

The applied technique is called Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia (mEHT). The cancer cells in our body when treated with mEHT produce “heat shock proteins” when they are heated. This treatment alerts our immune system by checking the cancer cells. In this way, these cells are recognized by our immune system and eliminate them.

We all have approximately 1000 cancer cells that circulate in our body every day. Those with a weak immune system can develop a tumor.

In conclusion

For patients diagnosed with cancer, Oncothermia is an excellent option for immunotherapy to complement conventional treatments: surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy, in an integrative oncology framework.

You can obtain more information about the operation of Oncothermia for treatments in cancer patients through this link.

Oncothermia in combination with Radiotherapy exerts a radiosensitizing effect in lung cancer.

efecto radiosensibilizante en el Cáncer de PulmónOncothermia in combination with Radiotherapy exerts a radiosensitizing effect in lung cancer.

The sensitivity of tumors to radiotherapy and chemotherapy is increased by Oncothermia.

Oncothermia, also known as electro-hyperthermia, is a new treatment modality that allows for increased sensitivity to other treatments. It has been developed to overcome the problems of traditional hyperthermia by targeting malignant tissues.

A study was published in 2015 in the journal Experimental and Therapeutic Medicine. It reports the outcome of combined oncothermia and RT in a 75-year-old patient with stage IIIB non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Due to the advanced age and the performance status of the patient, the combination of systemic chemotherapy and RT was deemed infeasible. Therefore, the patient instead decided to undergo oncothermia concurrently with definitive RT.

The RT was administered at a dose of 64.8 Gy in 36 fractions using a three-dimensional conformal plan technique. In this case, Oncothermia was started concomitantly with RT. And was performed for 60 min per session, two sessions per week, for a total of 12 sessions.

Follow-up computed tomography showed complete tumor response. And the patient was alive with no evidence of the disease 18 months after the completion of the treatment.

In conclusion, the present case report suggests that oncothermia combined with RT has former possessing radiosensitizing potential and no additional toxicities. May be it is a promising alternative for advanced-age and/or frail patients with locally advanced NSCLC.

In addition, you can find more information about lung cancer on our website.

Stage IV Kidney Cancer treated by Oncothermia and herbs

Stage IV Kidney Cancer (Wilms Tumor) treated by Oncothermia and herbs

[message_box title=”Wilms tumour is the most common cause of kidney cancer in childhood and adolescence.” color=”red”]It also carries a mortality rate of 7-8 in one million. The 5-year survival rate for kidney cancer is 77.2 – 87.5%. When Wilms tumour progresses, radiotherapy and chemotherapy are conventionally used as the only treatments.[/message_box]

Clinical case

A 17-year-old Korean woman was treated from October 25, 2014, until July 22, 2015 with an integrating medical treatment, in order to control the extent of her illness.

The integrative medical treatment included: oncothermia, thymosin-α1 and phytotherapy. Phytotherapy was administered in 8 ml. of inhalation of Soram nebulizer solution qd, Soramdan S 8 g po, Hangamdan S 1 g po, tid, Cheongjangtang 10-30 ml, and Spiam HC 8 g po. She received Oncothermia (2-3 times a week) and 1.6 mg of treatment with thymosin-α1 (Zadaxin) i.m.

Result

According to the result of the CT on July 15, 2015, the liver metastasis was no longer seen, while the lung metastasis remained stable without tumor progression.

Conclusion

In patterns of Wilms tumor progression after surgery and chemotherapy, integrative medical treatment can be significant for disease control.

Reference

Lee D, Kim SS, Seong S, Cho W, Yu H. Stage IV Wilms Tumor Treated by Korean Medicine, Hyperthermia and Thymosin-α1: A Case Report. Case Rep Oncol. 2016 Feb 20;9(1):119-25. doi: 10.1159/000443724. 

If you wish, you can find more information about clinical cases treated with Oncotermia on our website.