Temperature measurements were made in canine solid tumours during whole-body hyperthermia (WBH) alone, local hyperthermia alone and local hyperthermia given simultaneously with WBH. During the plateau phase of WBH alone, mean intratumoral temperature ranged from 41.3 +/- 0.2 degrees C to 41.7 +/- 0.1 degrees C and was statistically lower (P = 0.0028) and more variable than rectal temperature, which ranged from 42.0 +/- 0.02 degrees C to 42.1 +/- 0.03 degrees C. The temperature distribution in solid tumours during WBH is more uniform than during local hyperthermia. The simultaneous administration of whole-body and local hyperthermia in five dogs resulted in increased tumour temperatures in comparison to WBH and in more uniformly increased tumour temperatures in comparison to local hyperthermia alone. Median intratumoral temperatures (+/- 95% confidence intervals) resulting from local hyperthermia alone and local hyperthermia given simultaneously with WBH were 39.9 degrees C (39.7-40.1) and 42.9 degrees C (42.6-43.1), respectively, and were statistically different (P = 0.0012). Local applied power requirements to meet predetermined intratumoral temperature limits were decreased by 50% (P = 0.011) in dogs undergoing combined local/whole-body hyperthermia versus local hyperthermia alone. Dogs tolerated the combination of local and WBH without complication.