Answers to Cancer- Part 3: Hyperthermia for cancer treatment
Answers to Cancer- Part 3: Hyperthermia for cancer treatment
Introduction
The microenvironment of cancerous tumor tissues have low oxygen levels and acidic conditions. Hence they are more vulnerable to heat than normal cells.
Heat source can be external or internal.
Heat can be applied
- Locally
- superficially or
- deep to the whole-body
39-48oC is suitable to kill cancerous cells.
Advantage
Oldest known technique (3000 BC) for cancer treatment as per Egyptian records.
Disadvantage
- approved only in combination with other treatment modalities
- not widely available.
Scope for improvement
Functionalized magnetic nanoparticles coupled with drug delivery technologies can increase the acceptability of the Hyperthermia technique.
They can selectively target tumor and induce local heat by the application of external magnetic field.

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