Extreme Whole-Body Hyperthermia with Water-Filtered Infrared-A Radiation

The testing of various methods to realise extreme whole-body hyperthermia (eWBH) finally led to the utilisation of radiative systems. Among these the application of water-filtered infrared-A radiation (wIRA) distinguished itself by its high penetration, all the way into the capillary bed of the skin. With wIRA the interfering infrared-B and the infrared-C is eliminated from the heat radiation. Thus a clearly higher radiation power can be applied at a tolerable level than by applying unfiltered heat radiation. In two independent phase I clinical studies the high tolerance of eWBH (approx. 42°C/60 min) was proven in the scope of the so-called systemic cancer multistep therapy (sCMT) while applying wIRA. First proof of the retardation of tumour progression could be carried out by a retrospective observation study of over 490 sCMT treatment courses of cancer patients with various different tumour entities at an advanced stage. A phase I/II clinical study on the treatment of 19 patients with metastatic colorectal cancer with sCMT and wIRA in combination with chemotherapy suggests that sCMT may enhance the effect of chemotherapy. In a prior study on the treatment of patients with metastasised adenocarcinomas only 3/19 patients remained in progression.