Interdisciplinary therapy for patients with superficial and shallowly seated tumors

To evaluate the role of combined hyperthermia and radiotherapy or chemotherapy in the management of recurrent breast cancer, metastatic cervical lymphnodes and soft tissue sarcomas, a multi-institutional retrospective analysis was undertaken by the JASTRO Hyperthermia Study Group (HSG). Clinical records of these cancers treated with thermoradiotherapy or thermochemotherapy in HSG institutions were reviewed. One hundred and twenty eight fields in 118 patients with recurrent breast cancers, 132 tumors of metastatic cervical lymphnodes and 71 soft tissue sarcomas were studied. Average radiation dose, number of hyperthermia sessions and heating time ranged from 47.1 to 51.2 Gy, 5.9 to 7.1 times and 43 to 47 min, respectively. Hyperthermia was given within 30 min after radiation therapy in most cases. Tumor depth of recurrent breast cancer, metastatic cervical lymphnodes and soft tissue sarcomas was 2.2, 3.7 and 7.2 cm, respectively. The local control rate (CR rate) of recurrent breast cancer, metastatic cervical lymphnodes and soft tissue sarcomas was 46%, 29% and 11%, respectively. The shallower tumors showed higher the CR rates. The correlation of local control and thermal parameters differed between the three tumors. Thermal parameters must be carefully chosen to improve the results of hyperthermia. (author)