Local Hyperthermia
Humlegaarden is a center of excellence for hyperthermia treatments. We have been doing local Hyperthermia treatments at Humlegaarden from 1984. As the only center for hyperthermia treatments in Scandinavia, we have gained in-depth knowledge about treating cancer using this method.
At Humlegaarden we have used the Oncotherm machines for almost 20 years. In Oncothermia a modulated electric field with a carrier frequency of 13.56 MHz is generated by two active electrodes with a diameter of 17 cm. Since malignant tissue has higher conductivity than healthy human tissue, the electric field tends to flow predominantly through the malignant tumor tissue. The combination of deep layer heating and the electric field leads to stimulation of malignant tumor cells. This, in turn, triggers increased apoptotic activity in the tumor region and as a result, promotes cell death. Compared with classic Hyperthermia, which can result in burns, Oncothermia works at a significantly lower temperature. While classic Hyperthermia works at a temperature of 42°C, Oncothermia achieves a greater effect at just 38°C. Thanks to the selection at cellular level, the radiation only has an effect in the region of the tumor; the healthy regions remain as good as untouched.
In general, Oncothermia can be used with all stages of cancer, although its current main use is with advanced solid tumors that are hardly operable or inoperable, as well as with recurrent tumors and metastases.
Also where conventional therapy approaches (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy) are not very likely to be successful, or have proven to be inadequate, Oncothermia has already been successfully used with the following tumors, including their metastases in different organs: Astrocytomas and glioblastomas, bronchial carcinomas, cervix carcinomas, colorectal carcinomas, carcinomas of the urethra, hepatocellular carcinomas, stomach carcinomas, malignant melanomas, mamma carcinomas, renal cell carcinomas, esophagus carcinomas, ovarian carcinomas, pancreatic carcinomas, squamous epithelium, and carcinomas at head and throat.
Oncothermia selectively heats the tumor tissue in the region to be treated. For this reason, Oncothermia is particularly indicated for the treatment of localized solid tumors. It does not matter whether the tumor is located on the surface or deep down. The principle of self-focusing also allows moving regions of the body to be treated, such as the lungs, or thermo-sensitive regions such as the brain. Oncothermia is effective both in areas with high blood flow, such as the liver, and in regions with high air circulation, such as the lungs.
During treatment with the EHY- 2000 plus the patient lies on the waterbed. The electric field is set up between two electrodes: the bolus electrode positioned at the site where the patient is to be treated and the counter electrode positioned under the mattress of the waterbed. During the treatment, thanks to the interaction between the electric field and the heat, selection at cellular level takes place, the system self focuses on the tumor and apoptosis (programmed cell death) is increased.
Usually, the patient is treated with 13,56 MHz radio frequency waves for 1-1½ hour every second day. 10 such treatments are recommended.
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Clinical Studies - Hyperthermia
- Patient information, please read here
Whole Body Hyperthermia
A healthy organism reacts to the threat of illness with regulated increases in temperature, progressing in acute cases to a high fever which can trigger an enhanced immune response.
Body temperature plays a crucial role in the regulation of the immune system. Fever can be considered as being a natural temporary “immunological special program”. Accordingly, an artificially induced increase in body temperature can result in a sustained stimulation of otherwise inhibited powers of self-healing, even in cases involving chronic or malignant processes.
Martin Heckel, a German radiologist and doctor of internal medicine, has developed a cancer treatment method which involves irradiating the entire body in a heat-insulated treatment cabin with high intensity infrared rays, which are emitted from four 300-watt halogen wolfram lamps.
The intensity of the treatment is adjusted individually for each patient, and for those who are able to tolerate it, a body temperature of more than 40° C (104 degrees Fahrenheit), can be achieved.
The controlled increase in body temperature besides counteracting symptoms, can also influence faulty regulatory processes within the whole organism, promote reparative and regenerative processes in each individual cell and result in sustained muscle relaxation even in the deep-lying, most inaccessible muscle layers. It enhances numerous immunological processes, particularly lymphocyte migration to sites of inflammation and malignant processes and enhances the efficiency of various antibiotic and chemotherapeutic substances.
In 1996, we had a Norwegian male patient with melanoma with 3 radiation treated recurrences after the operation within one year with bone metastases (spine, ribs, femur and pelvis), and who had previously received radiation treatments to his lumbar and thoracic spine, as well as to his ribs and left hip (which had lesions). During these 3 weeks, he had one wholebody hyperthermia every week with a temperature rise to 40-40,5° C lasting for many hours, and he also started mistletoe injections. After his departure, he continued his mistletoe injections and came to Humlegaarden once a year to have one wholebody hyperthermia session. From 2002, we thought he did not need this more but he has continued his treatments with mistletoe. Today he is very fine, and never had a recurrence since his stay at Humlegaarden.
Whole-body hyperthermia is a supportive therapy module that can be combined synergistically with other therapies to treat cancer and other diseases.
Hyperthermia as the only treatment of Bile Duct Cancer
- read the case-story here
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