| Breaf History of Hyperthermia | | | | for the first time. This already well-known and applied |
| The healing effect of heat treatment was already | | | | method was rediscovered as so called "whole body |
| mentioned in the advanced cultures of the old Egypt | | | | hyperthermia" in the beginning of the 1960s. Since the |
| (2400 B.C.), but only the medical professionals of the | | | | 70s a number of studies were run to further |
| Greek Antique used this therapeutic approach | | | | investigate this therapy form. |
| consistently, acknowledged it and called it | | | | Research has shown that high temperatures (up to |
| over-warming (in Greek: Hyperthermia). "Give me the | | | | 44°C) can damage and kill cancer cells, usually with |
| power to produce fever and I heal every illness", said | | | | minimal injury to normal tissues. By killing cancer cells |
| Parmenides, Greek physician, 540-480 B.C. | | | | and damaging proteins and structures within cells, |
| Hyperthermia in cancer treatment | | | | hyperthermia may shrink tumors. |
| Hyperthermia (also called thermal therapy or | | | | Hyperthermia is almost always used with other forms |
| thermotherapy) is an acute condition which occurs | | | | of cancer therapy, such as radiation therapy and |
| when the body produces or absorbs more heat than | | | | chemotherapy. Hyperthermia may make some cancer |
| it can dissipate. It is usually caused by prolonged | | | | cells more sensitive to radiation or harm other cancer |
| exposure to high temperatures. The heat-regulating | | | | cells that radiation cannot damage. When |
| mechanisms of the body eventually become | | | | hyperthermia and radiation therapy are combined, |
| overwhelmed and unable to effectively deal with the | | | | they are often given within an hour of each other. |
| heat, causing the body temperature to climb | | | | Hyperthermia can also enhance the effects of certain |
| uncontrollably. | | | | anticancer drugs, which is mutually strengthened |
| Hyperthermia can also be created artificially by drugs | | | | thereby and a healing more likely - the so-called |
| or medical devices. In these instances it may be used | | | | synergistic effect of hyperthermia. It was found out |
| to treat cancer and other conditions. Cancer cells are | | | | that cytostatic drugs (chemotherapy substances) |
| more heat-sensitive than healthy cells and their | | | | clearly act more aggressively at temperatures over |
| structure reacts differently to overheating. In 1910 | | | | 40° C than within the range of the normal body |
| the possibility of overheating in order to increase the | | | | temperature. |
| radiation effect on malicious tumors was described | | | | |