This publication was published more than 5 years ago. The state of knowledge may have changed.

Hyperthermia treatment in cancer

Heating tumours can make them more susceptible to treatment or have a direct active effect by killing of tumour tissue. The proposed mechanism for hyperthermia treatment is that the tumour is more susceptible to heat than the surrounding healthy tissue and that hyperthermia enhances the cell damaging effect of chemotherapy and radiation. It is however unclear if hyperthermia treatment has an effect when it is not combined with chemotherapy or radiation.

Reading time approx. 10 minutes Published: Publication type:

SBU Enquiry Service

Consists of structured literature searches to highlight studies that can address questions received by the SBU Enquiry Service from Swedish healthcare or social service providers. We assess the risk of bias in systematic reviews and when needed also quality and transferability of results in health economic studies. Relevant references are compiled by an SBU staff member, in consultation with an external expert when needed.

Contact SBU
Published: Report no: ut201927 Registration no: SBU 2019/285

Questions

What scientific studies are there on the effect of hyperthermia treatment on cancer, when not combined with chemotherapy or radiation?

What systematic reviews are there on the effect of hyperthermia treatment on specific cancer types?

Identified literature

There were no scientific studies on the effect of hyperthermia treatment on cancer, when not combined with chemotherapy or radiation.

There were 13 systematic reviews [1-13] on the effect of hyperthermia treatment on specific cancer types, these were not assessed for risk of bias.

References

  1. Kirisits A, Wild C. Hyperthermia in breast-, bladder-, cervix carcinoma and soft tissue sarcoma patients (Structured abstract). In: Health Technology Assessment Database. Ludwig Boltzmann Institut fuer Health Technology Assessment (LBIHTA); 2012.
  2. Datta NR, Stutz E, Gomez S, Bodis S. Efficacy and Safety Evaluation of the Various Therapeutic Options in Locally Advanced Cervix Cancer: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis of Randomized Clinical Trials. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics 2019;103:411-37.
  3. van der Horst A, Versteijne E, Besselink MGH, Daams JG, Bulle EB, Bijlsma MF, Wilmink JW, van Delden OM, van Hooft JE, Franken NAP, van Laarhoven HWM, Crezee J, van Tienhoven G. The clinical benefit of hyperthermia in pancreatic cancer: a systematic review. International Journal of Hyperthermia 2018;34:969-79.
  4. Hu Y, Li Z, Mi DH, Cao N, Zu SW, Wen ZZ, Yu XL, Qu Y. Chemoradiation combined with regional hyperthermia for advanced oesophageal cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Clinical Pharmacy and Therapeutics 2017;42:155-64.
  5. Datta NR, Puric E, Klingbiel D, Gomez S, Bodis S. Hyperthermia and Radiation Therapy in Locoregional Recurrent Breast Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. International Journal of Radiation Oncology Biology Physics 2016;94:1073-87.
  6. Datta NR, Rogers S, Klingbiel D, Gómez S, Puric E, Bodis S. Hyperthermia and radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: a systematic review with conventional and network meta-analyses. International Journal of Hyperthermia 2016;32:809-21.
  7. Datta NR, Rogers S, Ordóñez SG, Puric E, Bodis S. Hyperthermia and radiotherapy in the management of head and neck cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis. International Journal of Hyperthermia 2016;32:31-40.
  8. Longo TA, Gopalakrishna A, Tsivian M, Van Noord M, Rasch CR, Inman BA, Geijsen ED. A systematic review of regional hyperthermia therapy in bladder cancer. International Journal of Hyperthermia 2016;32:381-9.
  9. Mathis S, Johansson T. Hyperthermie. http://eprints.hta.lbg.ac.at/883/1/DSD_36.pdf. Ludwig Boltzmann Institut fuer Health Technology Assessment (LBIHTA) 2010.
  10. Lutgens L, van der Zee J, Pijls-Johannesma M, De Haas-Kock Danielle FM, Buijsen J, Mastrigt Ghislaine APGv, et al. Combined use of hyperthermia and radiation therapy for treating locally advanced cervix carcinoma. In: Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews. John Wiley & Sons, Ltd; 2010.
  11. De Haas-Kock DFM, Buijsen J, Pijls-Johannesma M, Lutgens L, Lammering G, Van Mastrigt GAPG, et al. Concomitant hyperthermia and radiation therapy for treating locally advanced rectal cancer. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews 2009.
  12. McDaid C, Hartley S, Bagnall AM, Ritchie G, Light K, Riemsma R. Systematic review of effectiveness of different treatments for childhood retinoblastoma. Health Technology Assessment 2005;9:iii-48.
  13. Widmark A, Flodgren P, Damber JE, Hellsten S, Cavallin-Stahl E. A systematic overview of radiation therapy effects in urinary bladder cancer. Acta Oncologica 2003;42:567-81.

Literature search

Cochrane Library via Wiley April 12, 2019
Effect of hyperthermia treatment in cancer
The search result, usually found at the end of the documentation, forms the list of abstracts. au = Author; MeSH = Term from the Medline controlled vocabulary, including terms found below this term in the MeSH hierarchy; this term only = Does not include terms found below this term in the MeSH hierarchy; :ti = Title; :ab = Abstract; :kw = Keyword; * = Truncation; “ “ = Citation Marks; searches for an exact phrase; CDSR = Cochrane Database of Systematic Review; CENTRAL = Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, “trials”; CRM = Method Studies; DARE = Database Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, “other reviews”; EED = Economic Evaluations; HTA = Health Technology Assessments
  Search terms Items found
Population:
1. MeSH descriptor: [Neoplasms] explode all trees 69 457
2. "malignant":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 14 965
3. cancer:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 141 162
4. "metastases":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched)  
Intervention:
5. hyperthermi*:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 1 761
6. whole body:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 8 558
7. "WBH":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 28
Combined sets:
8. #1 or #2 or #3 or #4 172 830
9. #8 and #5 822
10. (#9 and #6) or #7 43
Final I #9 with Cochrane Library publication date from Jan 2013 to Dec 2019 CENTRAL/499
Final II #10 with Cochrane Library publication date from Jan 2013 to Dec 2019 CENTRAL/25

 

Embase via embase.com April 10, 2019 
Effect of hyperthermia treatment in cancer
/de = Term from the EMTREE controlled vocabulary; /exp = Includes terms found below this term in the EMTREE hierarchy; /mj = Major Topic; :ab = Abstract; :au = Author; :ti = Article Title; :ab,ti = Title or abstract; * = Truncation; ’ ’ = Citation Marks; searches for an exact phrase
  Search terms Items found
Population:
1. 'neoplasm'/exp OR 'neoplasm' AND neoplasm:ab,ti 73 041
2. 'metastasis'/exp OR 'metastasis' OR metastas*:ab,ti 720 101
3. 'cancer'/exp OR cancer:ab,ti 4 014 687
4. 'metastases'/exp 596 656
Intervention:
5. 'hyperthermic therapy'/exp OR 'hyperthermic therapy' 24 336
6. 'hyperthermia'/exp OR 'hyperthermia' OR hyperthermi*:ab,ti 45 251
7. 'malignant hyperthermia'/exp OR 'malignant hyperthermia' 6 745
8. 'whole body' OR WBH 100 594
Limits:
9. 'systematic review'/exp OR systematic:ab,ti OR meta:ab,ti 553 733
10. 'clinical trial'/exp OR 'clinical trial' OR (clinical:ab,ti AND trial:ab,ti) AND random*:ab,ti 611 376
11. 'controlled clinical trial'/exp 709 431
12. 'phase 3 clinical trial'/exp OR 'phase 4 clinical trial'/exp 41 572
13. [2013-2019]/py  
Final I ((#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4) AND (#5 OR #6 OR #7) AND 9) AND 13 311
Final II ((#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4) AND (#5 OR #6 OR #7) AND 8) AND 13 78
Final III ((#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4) AND (#5 OR #6 OR #7) AND (#10 OR #11 OR #12)) AND 13 345

 

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination April 12 2019
Effect of hyperthermia treatment in cancer
  Search terms Items found
Population:
1. (neoplas*) OR (Cancer) OR (metastas*) 13 230
Intervention:
2. MeSH DESCRIPTOR Hyperthermia, Induced EXPLODE ALL TREES 226
3. MeSH DESCRIPTOR Malignant Hyperthermia EXPLODE ALL TREES 2
4. (hyperthermia) 123
5. (whole body) or WBH 156
Combined sets:
6. #1 AND (#2 OR #3 OR #4) 93
7. #1 AND #5 72
Limits:
8. * FROM 2013 TO 2019  
Final I #6 AND #8 26
Final II #7 AND #8 12
The search result, usually found at the end of the documentation, forms the list of abstracts. ab,ti = abstract or title; exp = explosion searches, mapped searches of index terms; MeSH = term from the controlled vocabulary, including terms found below this term in mesh hierarchy; No index = free text search in all fields

 

Cochrane Library via Wiley August 16, 2013
Effect of hyperthermia treatment in cancer
The search result, usually found at the end of the documentation, forms the list of abstracts. au = Author; MeSH = Term from the Medline controlled vocabulary, including terms found below this term in the MeSH hierarchy; this term only = Does not include terms found below this term in the MeSH hierarchy; :ti = Title; :ab = Abstract; :kw = Keyword; * = Truncation; “ “ = Citation Marks; searches for an exact phrase; CDSR = Cochrane Database of Systematic Review; CENTRAL = Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, “trials”; CRM = Method Studies; DARE = Database Abstracts of Reviews of Effects, “other reviews”; EED = Economic Evaluations; HTA = Health Technology Assessments
  Search terms Items found
Population:
1. MeSH descriptor: [Neoplasms] explode all trees 46 935
2. "malignant":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 3 982
3. cancer:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 49 294
4. "metastases":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 7 312
Intervention:
5. hyperthermi*:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 902
6. whole body:ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 3 238
7. "WBH":ti,ab,kw (Word variations have been searched) 13
Combined sets:
8. #1 or #2 or #3 or #4 70 950
9. #8 and #5< 378
10. (#9 and #6) or #7 20
Final I Cochrane rev=3/
Other rev=19/
Trials=335/
TA=18/Economic=3		 378
Final II Cochrane rev=0/
Other rev=0/
Trials=19/
TA=1/Economic=0		 20

 

Embase via embase.com September 9, 2013
Effect of hyperthermia treatment in cancer
  Search terms Items found
Population:
1. 'neoplasm'/exp OR 'neoplasm' AND neoplasm:ab,ti 47 694
2. 'metastasis'/exp OR 'metastasis' OR metastas*:ab,ti 455 906
3. 'cancer'/exp OR cancer:ab,ti 3 519 387
4. 'metastases'/exp 377 423
Intervention:
5. 'hyperthermic therapy'/exp OR 'hyperthermic therapy' 12 838
6. 'hyperthermia'/exp OR 'hyperthermia' OR hyperthermi*:ab,ti 34 900
7. 'malignant hyperthermia'/exp OR 'malignant hyperthermia' 5 969
8. 'whole body' OR WBH 67 809
Limits:
9. 'systematic review'/exp OR systematic:ab,ti OR meta:ab,ti 269 871
10. 'clinical trial'/exp OR 'clinical trial' OR (clinical:ab,ti AND trial:ab,ti) AND random*:ab,ti 368 311
11. 'controlled clinical trial'/exp 451 567
12. 'phase 3 clinical trial'/exp OR 'phase 4 clinical trial'/exp 17 364
Final I (#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4) AND (#5 OR #6 OR #7) AND 9 187
Final II (#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4) AND (#5 OR #6 OR #7) AND 8 457
Final III (#1 OR #2 OR #3 OR #4) AND (#5 OR #6 OR #7) AND (#10 OR #11 OR #12) 729
/de = Term from the EMTREE controlled vocabulary; /exp = Includes terms found below this term in the EMTREE hierarchy; /mj = Major Topic; :ab = Abstract; :au = Author; :ti = Article Title; :ab,ti = Title or abstract; * = Truncation; ’ ’ = Citation Marks; searches for an exact phrase

 

Centre for Reviews and Dissemination August 16 2013
Effect of hyperthermia treatment in cancer
The search result, usually found at the end of the documentation, forms the list of abstracts. ab,ti = abstract or title; exp = explosion searches, mapped searches of index terms; MeSH = term from the controlled vocabulary, including terms found below this term in mesh hierarchy; No index = free text search in all fields
  Search terms Items found
Population:
1. (neoplas*) OR (Cancer) OR (metastas*) 9 654
Intervention:
2. MeSH DESCRIPTOR Hyperthermia, Induced EXPLODE ALL TREES 178
3. MeSH DESCRIPTOR Malignant Hyperthermia EXPLODE ALL TREES 2
4. (hyperthermia) 96
5. (whole body) or WBH 130
Combined sets:
6. #1 AND (#2 OR #3 OR #4) 98
7. #1 AND #6 1
Final I   98
Final II #7 AND #8 1
Page published
To top