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The secret of hyperthermia: Why are high temperatures so deadly to cancer cells?
With the continuous advancement of medical technology, hyperthermia therapy has gradually gained attention as a method of auxiliary cancer treatment. The basic principle of this therapy is to fight cancer cells by raising body temperature. Depending on the situation, hyperthermia can be delivered locally, regionally, or systemically, and is often combined with radiation therapy or chemotherapy to enhance the therapeutic effect. However, how does high temperature kill cancer cells? What biological mechanisms are behind this?
Heat therapy is thought to be a treatment that can increase blood flow and boost the supply of drugs and oxygen, thereby enhancing their anti-cancer effects.
What is hyperthermia?
Hyperthermia is a medical technique that exposes internal tissues to temperatures above normal body temperature, usually between 40°C and 45°C. The goal of hyperthermia is to make cells more sensitive to other cancer treatments, especially when combined with radiation therapy or chemotherapy to improve their effectiveness. Depending on the site of use and the goal, hyperthermia can be divided into three main types: local hyperthermia, regional hyperthermia and whole-body hyperthermia.
Types of Hyperthermia and Their Applications
Local hyperthermia is used to treat cancers that are close to the skin or natural openings in the body, using techniques such as microwaves, radiofrequency, ultrasound, or magnetic flux hyperthermia to heat a small area of the tumor. The goal is to effectively kill tumor cells without damaging surrounding healthy tissue.
Regional hyperthermia targets entire organs or limbs, usually to weaken cancer cells so they can be more easily killed by other treatments. Whole body hyperthermia is used to treat metastatic cancer and aims to raise the overall body temperature to resist the spread of cancer cells.
Mechanism and Effect of Hyperthermia
Studies have shown that hyperthermia can achieve therapeutic effects by damaging cancer cells and increasing their sensitivity to radiation and chemotherapy drugs. When the temperature rises to between 40°C and 42°C (104°F and 108°F), it can directly damage cancer cells while also helping to improve drug delivery and oxygen supply.
Cancer cells have a relatively low tolerance for heat because they survive in a hostile microenvironment, making hyperthermia an effective anti-cancer approach.
Challenges and safety of hyperthermia
Although hyperthermia therapy has potential benefits for cancer treatment, its safety needs to be carefully considered. Externally applied high temperatures may cause superficial burns or other tissue damage. Therefore, temperature and time need to be strictly controlled during treatment to avoid damage to healthy tissue.
Future Outlook
With the development of medical technology, the application scope of hyperthermia therapy will continue to expand, and may be combined with gene therapy to further enhance the treatment effect. Although there are still some challenges in the popularization and application of hyperthermia therapy, researchers are working hard to overcome these difficulties in the hope of bringing hope to more cancer patients in the future.
The mystery of hyperthermia therapy is fascinating. Can it become a new weapon in the fight against cancer if combined with other treatment methods?
