Hyperthermia therapy is a specialized form of oncological treatment in which the tumour tissue is gently heated to a therapeutic temperature of typically 40 °C to 43 °C for around 60 minutes in order to increase the effectiveness of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
The heat is delivered locally to the treatment target by means of electromagnetic fields, capacitive electric fields, ultrasound or infrared radiation, depending on the clinical indication and tumor location. By carefully controlling the supply of thermal energy, the tumor area can be heated in a targeted manner while the surrounding healthy tissue is spared.
The controlled increase in temperature has several beneficial physiological and cellular effects:
- Activation of the immune response by stimulating T-cell activity and the expression of heat shock proteins.
- Improved blood circulation and tissue oxygenation, which counteracts hypoxia – a known cause of radioresistance.
- Inhibition of DNA repair mechanisms, making tumor cells more susceptible to damage caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
- Direct cytotoxic effect at higher thermal doses, especially in poorly perfused tumor regions.
These mechanisms enable hyperthermia to act as a powerful radiosensitizer that increases the biological effect of radiotherapy by a factor of up to 2.5. For this reason, hyperthermia is usually used in combination with external radiation therapy, where it significantly improves local tumor control and treatment outcomes for patients.
Indications
Hyperthermia is mainly used for solid tumors that are considered difficult to treat or where the aim is to improve local control. Typical indications include soft tissue sarcomas, breast cancer recurrences, cervical carcinomas and head and neck tumors. It can be used for primary tumors as well as for locally advanced or recurrent diseases. The decision to use hyperthermia is based on the tumor location, the existing treatment plan and the individual patient factors.
Clinical implementation in our department
Since 2025, our department has been operating a modern system for superficial hyperthermia, which is integrated into multimodal oncological treatment paths. The device uses an electromagnetic field of 434 MHz, which enables controlled heating of tumor volumes from the skin surface to a depth of around 4.5 cm.
The treatment is controlled by real-time temperature monitoring, which ensures that the therapeutic target volume is maintained within the desired temperature range throughout the session.
Safety and quality assurance
Hyperthermia is a highly specialized therapy that requires precise control of electromagnetic energy to ensure safe and effective heating of tumor tissue. To ensure patient safety and treatment quality, strict national and international guidelines are adhered to in accordance with the recommendations of the European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology and ESTRO.
Our system is equipped with several fiber optic temperature sensors placed in and around the treatment area. These sensors enable continuous real-time temperature monitoring, allowing clinicians to dynamically adjust treatment parameters to maintain the target temperature range and avoid overheating healthy tissue.
In addition, an independent quality assurance program checks the output power of the applicator, the calibration and the safety interlocks before each treatment. Together, these measures ensure that hyperthermia is carried out to the highest standards in terms of precision, safety and clinical efficacy.