Extracorporeally induced whole-body hyperthermia in conventionally incurable malignant tumor patients

Whole body hyperthermia was produced in 14 patients with conventionally incurable malignant disease. The technique consisted of arteriovenous shunting involving extracorporeal circulation with heat exchange during general anaesthesia. A temperature of 41.8 degrees C was maintained for periods of 6 hours. After achieving hyperthermic temperatures treatment was enlarged by administration of 5-fluorouracil (1000 mg) in patients with colorectal carcinoma and by dacarazine (200 mg/m2) in patients with malignant melanoma. In 5 out 6 patients with stage IV colorectal carcinoma stabilisation of the disease was seen for an average of 10 months. In contrast, progression of the disease was seen in patients with malignant melanoma and mean survival was only 5 months. These preliminary results in a small number of patients indicate that 1. induction and maintenance of whole body hyperthermia is clinically possible, 2. technical requirements are considerable, however feasible, 3. different tumours react differently to treatment.