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Ed Yeates ReportingA German newspaper comparable to our Wall Street Journal is reporting major strides in killing stubborn tumors with hyperthermia, combined with radiation or chemotherapy. The unique medical device used to heat up the cancer cells is made in West Valley City.
Early crude experimental hyperthermia devices, as a possible way to heat up and kill tumors, go back a long way. But they've also come a long way, especially in recent years with sophisticated devices like a circular sleeve made by Utah based BSD Medical, which heats things up not with ultrasound - but microwave.
It's like a microwave for a human, but in this case the energy is very concentrated, targets specific areas, and there is little or no damage to normal cells.
In Europe, one of Germany's more prestigious newspapers is touting the therapy in a headline that reads, "Combined Hyperthermia and Chemotherapy Wins the Battle Against Refractory Cancer."
Refractory refers to non-responsive cancers, which up until now have resisted conventional therapies. A combined hyperthermia/chemo regimen is now being tested on bladder cancers in multiple medical centers in Essen, Dusseldorf, Lubeck and Hamburg. Also, elsewhere, for cervical cancer.
Paul Turner, Chief Technology Officer, BSD Medical: "In the Netherlands, the hyperthermia therapy is considered first line therapy in combination with radiation for the cervix patients."
The heating tends to increase blood flow, allowing more chemo to enter the tumor. Plus, the heat itself appears to weaken the tumor's resistance, giving the chemo more clout.
And when radiation is used?
Paul Turner: "Radiation therapy also is enhanced - almost double the effectiveness - when you have radiation therapy at the time when you've had an elevated temperature."
The kill ratio on bladder, cervical, colorectal, prostate, pancreatic - perhaps someday even liver, lung and brain cancers - might all be enhanced with the combined hyperthermia/chemo/radiation attack.
Utah based BSD Medical has been making and testing hyperthermia devices since the 1980's.
