HT in brachytherapy

The so called interstitial hyperthermia is used in oncology, in combination with brachytherapy. It consists in inserting dipole antennas into catheters after brachytherapy in order to heat the irradiated tissues with high precision of location and exact temperature measurement.

This type of hyperthermia is invasive, requiring local anesthesia or general anesthesia, but its invasiveness does not go beyond that resulting from the brachytherapy procedure itself. It only extends the duration of the entire procedure by approx. 60 minutes of heating

Indications for this type of hyperthermia are basically the same as for brachytherapy, i.e .

• Head and neck tumors, in particular those located in
  • floor of the mouth
  • the shaft of the tongue
  • cheek and lips
  • trachea
  • esophagus
• Cervical cancer
• Breast cancer
• Prostate cancer
• Penile cancer
• Skin cancer (basal and squamous cells)
• Soft tissue sarcomas
• Lung cancer
• Pancreatic and liver cancer

The ideal timing of hyperthermia in relation to brachytherapy is identical to teleradiotherapy: short hyperthermia (approx. 30 minutes) at light temperatures (up to 39°C) immediately BEFORE brachytherapy and a 60-minute session at high temperatures (up to 43°C) for up to about 2 hours AFTER brachytherapy.

See our equipment for interstitial hyperthermia