Hyperthermia & Immunotherapy

Although work still needs to be done, the results when immunotherapy is combined with hyperthermia, has been encouraging.

Hyperthermia potentially boosts the effects of immunotherapy in cancer treatment.

Heat has long been recognized as a beneficial defense mechanism for illness. An increasing body of preclinical and clinical data suggests that hyperthermia treatment induces an improved anti-tumor immune response when paired with immunotherapy. The targeted ultrasonic heat used during hyperthermia treatments has already been widely shown to improve the efficacy of chemotherapy and radiation treatment, and now oncology experts are better understanding how hyperthermia can be used in tandem with immunotherapy to improve the immune system’s ability to fight tumors.

What Is Immunotherapy?

Immunotherapy utilizes a patient’s own immune system to combat cancer and is most effective in some types of cancers over others. The goal of immunotherapy is to boost the immune system itself so it can more effectively identify and attack cancerous cells without relying entirely on chemotherapy or radiation therapy, which have intense side effects. A common type of immunotherapy is the introduction of synthetic antibodies to restore or improve a weakened immune system. There is a growing body of research on the benefits of immunotherapy, and its role in cancer treatment has substantially increased over the last decade.

Immunotherapy is more effective when part of a multimodal treatment.

The immune system has a difficult time targeting cancerous cells, since cancer cells start life as normal cells. Even when the immune system successfully targets cancer cells, its response may be too weak to kill them.

Cancer cells are also adept at ‘camouflaging’ themselves from the immune system, making them even harder to fight. The oncology community has worked tirelessly to strengthen the immune system’s ability to recognize and attack cancer cells.

The ultimate aim is to galvanize a patient’s own body into destroying cancer from within. There is still a significant amount of work to be done before this goal is realized, but using hyperthermia in tandem with immunotherapy has yielded promising results.

Hyperthermia already boosts the body’s immune response in multiple ways.

The ultrasonic heat used in hyperthermia has been shown to cause cancer cells to release more tumor-specific antigens; as these antigens are released, the body’s immune activity increases in response, starting the cancer immunity cycle. The targeted heat in hyperthermia treatments also stimulates the body’s lymph nodes into activating T cells and deploying them to target tumors. Hyperthermia also enhances the T cells’ ability to destroy cancerous cells.

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Immunotherapy and hyperthermia integration yields strong results.

At HCI, our driving force is to increase the quality of life and lifespan of each patient. In addition to research-driven care, our kind and compassionate team provides unflagging support tailored to each patient’s individual needs.

It is widely acknowledged that integrative oncology care creates positive outcomes, and at HCI, we strive to provide the best combination of treatment to our patients in a state-of-the-art and stress-free environment.

Hyperthermia has no adverse effect on healthy tissue.

The benefits of coupling hyperthermia treatment with immunotherapy grow clearer each year. It is noteworthy that hyperthermia has no negative impact on healthy tissue; it only impacts cancerous cells. Most patients tolerate hyperthermia treatments well.

Side effects are quite rare and normally mild. Our medical team will partner with you and your oncologist to ensure your comfort throughout your hyperthermia and immunotherapy treatment. For more information on how HCI can be of service to you, contact our offices today.