The Synergy of Thermal and Non-Thermal Effects in Hyperthermic Oncology

Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is unique due to its combination of thermal and non-thermal effects. This report summarizes the literature on the effects of mEHT observed in vitro and in vivo. The thermal and electrical heterogeneity of tissues allows the radiofrequency signal to selectively target malignant tissue. The applied modulation appears to activate various apoptotic pathways, predominantly leading to immunogenic cell death (ICD). ICD promotes the release of damage-associated molecular patterns, potentially producing tumour-specific antigen-presenting cells. This abscopal-type effect may target distant metastases while treating the primary tumour locally. This immune memory effect is like vaccination mechanisms. The application of mEHT has the potential to expand from local to systemic disease, enabling the simultaneous treatment of micro- and macro-metastases.