Hyperthermia in Cancer Treatment: Questions and Answers 

Key Points 

• Hyperthermia is a type of cancer treatment in which body tissue is exposed to 

high temperatures (up to 113°F) to damage and kill cancer cells (see Question 1). 

• Hyperthermia is almost always used with other forms of cancer therapy, such as 

radiation therapy and chemotherapy (see Question 2). 

• Several methods of hyperthermia are currently under study, including local, 

regional, and whole-body hyperthermia (see Question 3). 

• Many clinical trials (research studies) are being conducted to evaluate the 

effectiveness of hyperthermia (see Question 5). 

1. What is hyperthermia?

Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or thermotherapy) is a type of cancer treatment 

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 (see Question 5). 

2. 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. 

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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, 4, 5, 6, 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). 

3. What are the different methods of hyperthermia? 

Several methods of hyperthermia are currently under study, including local, regional, and 

whole-body hyperthermia (1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 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, radiofrequency, and ultrasound. 

Depending on the tumor location, there are several approaches to local 

hyperthermia: 

o 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. 

o 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. 

o 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. 

o 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. 

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o Regional perfusion techniques can be used to treat 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 treatment. 

o 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 106–108oF. 

• 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). 

4. 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). 

5. What does the future hold for hyperthermia? 

A number of challenges must be overcome before hyperthermia can be considered a 

standard treatment 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 the treatment of different cancers. 

Other studies focus on improving hyperthermia techniques. 

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To learn more about clinical trials, call the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Cancer 

Information Service at the telephone number listed below or visit the clinical trials page 

of the NCI’s Web site at http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/ on the Internet. 

Selected References 

1. van der Zee J. Heating the patient: A promising approach? Annals of Oncology 2002; 

13:1173–1184. 

2. Hildebrandt B, Wust P, Ahlers O, et al. The cellular and molecular basis of 

hyperthermia. Critical Reviews in Oncology/Hematology 2002; 43:33–56. 

3. Wust P, Hildebrandt B, Sreenivasa G, et al. Hyperthermia in combined treatment of 

cancer. The Lancet Oncology 2002; 3:487–497. 

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. 

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. 

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. 

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# # # 

Related NCI materials and Web pages: 

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 6.7, Cancer: Questions and Answers

(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Sites-Types/general) 

• National Cancer Institute Fact Sheet 7.1, Radiation Therapy for Cancer: Questions 

and Answers (http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/factsheet/Therapy/radiation) 

• Chemotherapy and You: Support for People With Cancer

(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/chemotherapy-and-you)

• Radiation Therapy and You: Support for People With Cancer

(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/radiation-therapy-and-you)

• Taking Part in Cancer Treatment Research Studies

(http://www.cancer.gov/clinicaltrials/Taking-Part-in-Cancer-Treatment-ResearchStudies)

• What You Need To Know AboutTM Cancer

(http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/overview)

For more help, contact: 

NCI’s Cancer Information Service 

Telephone (toll-free): 1–800–4–CANCER (1–800–422–6237) 

TTY (toll-free): 1–800–332–8615

LiveHelp® online chat: https://cissecure.nci.nih.gov/livehelp/welcome.asp

This fact sheet was reviewed on 8/12/04 

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