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A pilot study of whole body hyperthermia and local irradiation for advanced non-small cell lung cancer confined to the thorax. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 1988 Aug;15(2):427-31

Date

08/01/1988

Pubmed ID

2841265

DOI

10.1016/s0360-3016(98)90025-6

Scopus ID

2-s2.0-0023758529 (requires institutional sign-in at Scopus site)   14 Citations

Abstract

Six patients with Stage III non-small cell lung cancer completed therapy which consisted of 4 whole body hyperthermia (WBH) treatments during the first 2 weeks of a 6 week course of radiotherapy (60 Gy). A radiant heat system was used to deliver the 41.8 degree C WBH. To reduce the danger of transverse myelitis, the spinal cord (and therefore part of the mediastinum and contralateral hilar region) was not irradiated during the first 2 weeks of radiotherapy and concurrent WBH. Subsequent treatments (weeks 3-6) included conventional irradiation to the primary tumor, mediastinal lymph nodes and spinal cord. Areas of gross disease responded to therapy in 5/6 patients. No radiation pneumonitis was observed. In 2/6 patients, relapse (after 10 months and 6 months, respectively) occurred with malignant pericardial effusions. The mediastinum in these patients was not an area of bulky disease involvement initially. To eliminate such WBH-radiation sanctuary zones, the protocol was modified to include greater combined WBH-radiation treatment. This is accomplished by having one WBH treatment "sandwiched" between 2 radiation fractions. The preclinical basis for the revised protocol is presented.

Author List

Robins HI, Longo WL, Steeves RA, Lagoni RK, Hugander A, Neville AJ, O'Keefe S, Giese W, Schmitt CL

Author

Walter L. Longo MD Professor in the Medicine department at Medical College of Wisconsin




MESH terms used to index this publication - Major topics in bold

Adult
Aged
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung
Combined Modality Therapy
Female
Humans
Hyperthermia, Induced
Lung Neoplasms
Male
Middle Aged
Pilot Projects