First combined radiotherapy and local hyperthermia treatment in Portugal.
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Júlio Teixeira – Radiotherapy, in partnership with CUF-Porto Hospital, carried out the first Radiotherapy concomitant with Local Hyperthermia treatment, a non-invasive technique whereby the tumour’s temperature is raised by applying selective and focused radiofrequency waves, using Celsius TCS equipment (http://www.celsius42.de/home.html). This technique can be used by itself or in conjunction with Chemotherapy and/or Radiotherapy, with the aim of achieving a more effective treatment of a number of pathologies.
Hyperthermia in the treatment of Cancer – Celsius TCS
The Celsius TCS was conceived as a system for the treatment of tumours. It is non-invasive Local Hyperthermia medical equipment which, using its two active electrodes, emits 13.56 MHz radiofrequency waves, allowing the temperature of the tumour to be raised in a selective and focused manner.
What is Hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia is the raising of temperature above the physiological level with the aim of reaching a higher therapeutic efficiency. It is defined as the raising of the temperature to between 39ºC and 45ºC.
The objective of Local Hyperthermia using Celsius 42 is to administer an optimum thermal dosage to the tumour, be it superficial or deep, without exceeding the tolerance limits of the surrounding tissue. Local Hyperthermia is applied externally and is non-invasive; the target area is placed between two active electrodes which emit an electromagnetic pulse which subsequently destroys the carcinogenic cells.
Pathologies
Use of the equipment is indicated for any type of solid tumour, particularly:
- Cervical
- Head and neck
- Lungs
- Melanoma
- Bladder
- Rectum
- Oesophagus
- Pelvic tumours
- Primary tumours and metastasizing tumours in organs (e.g. liver, pancreas, kidneys)
- Tumours of the stomach
- Brain tumours or cerebral metastases
- Breast cancer/ local recurrence of breast cancer
- Cancer of the prostate
Adverse Effects and Contraindications
Therapy using local Hyperthermia is administered by a doctor or nurse in 60-minute sessions, and is non-invasive. It is done on an out-patient basis and it generally doesn’t provoke adverse side-effects. In some isolated cases the destruction of the carcinogenic cells can result in a mild fever for the patient, which is considered a sign that the treatment is working.
Contraindications
Hyperthermia with Celsius TCS is contraindicated in:
- Recipients of coronary bypasses and their electrodes
- Patients with metallic prostheses in proximity of the target treatment area
This equipment was first installed in Portugal at the CUF Hospital Porto, the pioneer of this technique in this country.