Combined treatment of 8 MHz radiofrequency hyperthermia and irradiation for advanced urological malignancies

A combined therapy of irradiation and 8 MHz radiofrequency hyperthermia using Thermotron-RF Model 8 was carried out in a total of 26 patients with urological malignancies; 9 renal cancers, 1 renal capsular tumor, multiple liver metastatic lesions of renal cancer, a postoperative mediastinal metastasis of renal cancer, 2 ureteral cancers associated with bladder cancers, 4 bladder cancers, 4 prostatic cancers, a postoperative local recurrent tumor of an adult type Wilms' tumor, and multiple skin metastatic lesions of a penile cancer. Previous therapies were unsuccessful, or surgical interventions were not indicated because of poor general conditions. They were irradiated with daily 1.8 to 2.0 Gy, 5 times a week, or daily 2.0 to 4.0 Gy twice a week. Hyperthermia was induced twice a week within one hour after each irradiation, in total 10 times for 5 weeks. Intratumoral temperature was kept between 42.0 to 44.0 deg C. Clinical efficacy was evaluated by CT, ultrasound and biochemical data. Partial tumor regression, defined as the regression of 50 % or more, was obtained in one of the 9 renal cancers, in the mediastinal metastasis of renal cancer, 2 of the 4 prostatic cancers, one of the 4 bladder cancers and the 2 ureteral cancers, CR was obtained in the 2 associated bladder cancers. As side effects, a mild skin burns and anorexia were observed in approximately 50 % of the cases. Subcutaneous fat tissue indurations occurred in 6 of the 30 patients, who had 15 mm or more thickness of subdermal fat tissues, after treatment. (author)