Human Cancer Treatment with Ultrasound

Abstract

Absmct-Despite the interest in hyperthermia and the rather significant advantages that ultrasound possesses over other methods for localized heating, there remain only a few reports of human studies with welldocumented thermal dosimetry that permit the evaluation of the antitumor efficacy of ultrasound treatment. In this paper, these reports are discussed, and the biological basis for the application of ultrasound hyperthermia as an antitumor modality is presented. Further, clinical results involving the application of ultrasonic hyperthermia alone, and in conjuction with chemotherapy and radiation in 215 patients are reported. Overall objective response rates for ultrasoundalone,ultrasound with chemotherapy, and ultrasound with radiation therapy were 45 percent, 60 percent, and 66 percent, respectively. Of particular encouragement was the treatment of advanced primary breast cancer with ultrasoundcombined withchemotherapy, wherethe first seven wesexhibited a 100 percent overall response rate to therapy.