MUNICH (Reuters). In the world's first clinical trial with soft tissue cancer patients local hyperthermia (LHT) has produced very good results. This was reported by Professor Rolf D. Issels, University Hospital Grosshadern.

Ten years ago, the study was launched with 341 patients, and 37 percent responded positively to the hyperthermia therapy, whereas with standard therapy, there were only 12 percent. Significantly more patients could live disease-free after the hyperthermia treatment for at least five years. Hyperthermia is only applicable for large tumors that have not formed metastases.

For patients with advanced cancers, the local radiation therapy is often the last option in order to curb the spreading cancer tissue just for a while. X-rays, however, are not the only rays that can prevent a tumor growing. Even microwaves in a frequency range from 80 to 150 megahertz can effect this in some tumor entities.

Focused use of heat increases the effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.

A recent study of the Berlin Charité, where rectal carcinoma patients were examined, concluded as follows: The additional use of hyperthermia in combination with radiation and chemotherapy had a positive impact on the quality of life of cancer patients compared with those who received no treatment with hyperthermia