At what temperature do cancer cells die?

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Heat therapy for cancer treatment is based on the mechanism of increasing temperature to destroy malignant cells. So at what temperature do cancer cells die and does this temperature affect healthy cells?

1. Cancer cells are afraid of "hot"

Increasing the temperature is a simple but extremely powerful method of enhancing the cancer treatment effects of high-dose radiation and chemotherapy.
More than 5,000 years ago, doctors in ancient Egypt began to apply heat to treat cancer. Today, oncologists have re-engineered heat delivery to improve radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy outcomes for patients:
Breast cancer . Brain cancer . Sarcoma (connective tissue cancer). Prostate cancer . Bladder cancer. Cervical cancer. Recurrent rectal cancer. Bone metastasis. Typically, the use of heat improves the effectiveness of radiation therapy by about 50% compared with radiation therapy alone.
Instead of completely killing cancer cells, the impact of moderate heat will make these malignant cells easily destroyed by radiation and chemotherapy. High temperatures also make mutant cells that are resistant to radiation and chemotherapy more susceptible.

2. How does temperature affect cancer cells?

Hyperthermia therapy for cancer will have the effect of shrinking and suppressing the tumor, allowing radiation and chemotherapy to work more effectively. Here are some effects of high temperature during cancer treatment:
Heat makes cancer stem cells sensitive to radiation.

Temperature interferes with the tumor's ability to repair itself to the effects of radiation. Temperature enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapy drugs. Heat increases blood flow to the tumor, making cancer cells more sensitive to radiation and chemotherapy. Heat enhances the body's immune response against cancer cells. Thus, knowing what temperature cancer cells die at will be the basis for adjusting the appropriate temperature in the treatment of cancer patients.

3. At what temperature do cancer cells usually die?

Malignant particles have a special sensitivity to high temperatures, but if the temperature is too high, it will affect normal benign cells. To apply in cancer treatment, doctors will use local heating with a temperature between 42°C and 43°C, which is the optimal temperature to inhibit and complement other therapies. But for temperatures above 43°C, not only the cancer cells die, but the patient's life is also threatened due to protein denaturation caused by excessive heat. In addition, excessive temperature increase can cause shock and local trauma to the patient.

4. Heat therapy for cancer treatment at Vinmec Times City

For the first time in Vietnam, heat therapy for cancer treatment has been applied at Vinmec Times City International General Hospital. Previously, at major cancer centers in many advanced countries such as the US, Japan, and Germany, heat was studied and applied in cancer treatment regimens, the results showed that the treatment effectiveness increased significantly.

4.1. Advantages of thermotherapy

There is a mode of thermotherapy based on the increase in temperature at the site of the tumor or in a body area. The temperature level is adjustable to 41 - 43oC. With this temperature limit, cancer cells can be damaged and killed, but with little effect on benign cells. In addition, heat therapy also increases the sensitivity of cancer cells when combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy, and promotes the process of cyclic suicide of residual cancer cells. after treatment with chemotherapy or radiation. Furthermore, heat therapy improves the body's immune system efficiency by activating immune cells and mutating tumor cells, making these malignant cells more susceptible to attack and destruction. than.

4.2. Subjects of application

Heat therapy is considered effective even in cases of cancer that have recurred or have been treated with other methods but are not effective. Currently, in the world, thermotherapy has been applied by many cancer centers in the US, Japan and Germany in the treatment of recurrent breast cancer, head and neck cancer, cervical cancer, and cervical cancer. bone and soft tissue cancer...
In Vietnam, Vinmec Times City International General Hospital has applied heat therapy to treat solid cancers, with tumor lesions no more than 2.5cm deep.

4.3. Duration and frequency of treatment

At Vinmec Hospital, thermotherapy is conducted up to 2 times/week with an average treatment duration of 45-60 minutes/time. Patients receive heat therapy 24 hours before radiation therapy, and at the same time apply the same chemotherapy and immunotherapy methods to improve the effectiveness of killing cancer cells.

4.4. Effective treatment

The therapeutic effect of heat therapy is evaluated during cancer treatment in combination with chemotherapy, radiotherapy and autologous immune-boosting therapies.

4.5. Why should we conduct heat therapy for cancer treatment at Vinmec Times City?

Team of highly qualified and experienced doctors. Comprehensive professional cooperation with domestic and international hospitals: Singapore, Japan, USA, .. Comprehensive treatment and care, multi-specialty coordination towards individualizing each patient. There is a full range of main cancer treatment methods: surgery, radiation therapy, chemotherapy, stem cell transplantation, immune enhancement, palliative care... All patients are informed before treatment. through a professional council, with the participation of leading experts: Surgery, Internal Oncology, Pathology, Diagnostic Imaging, Radiotherapy... The treatment regimens comply with practice guidelines. international clinical practice, as well as reference to regional and domestic oncology hospitals. Treatment drugs provided by the Pharmacy Department are always of the best quality.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.

References: Cancer.gov