Hyperfractionated Thermoradiotherapy Is More Effective and Less Invasive Than Radiation or Chemoradiation in Heatable Cancers : A Meta-Analysis

HTRT consists of daily hyperthermia treatments in conjunction with each radiation fraction. Radiation daily doses are progressively decreased from 180 to 100 cGy resulting in protracted treatment time that decreases the isoeffect biological equivalent dose by 15% to 25%. This decrease is compensated by the increased number of hyperthermia fractions which potentiates each radiation dose. Treatment is continued until an objective complete response is attained, or failure determined. Sixty breast patients, 35 head and neck, and 25 prostate patients were treated with a followup of two to five years. All patients were early stage (less than III). HTRT proved to be less toxic and more effective than radiation or chemoradiation therapies.