Combination hyperthermia and radiation therapy for cutaneous malignant melanoma.

The clinical studies were carried out to evaluate whether radiation combined with hyperthermia would evoke better local tumor control than that achieved with radiation alone. Using an inductive method of radiofrequency heating at 27.12 MHz and radiation therapy, 37 lesions in 14 patients were treated with heat alone, radiation alone and heat in combination with radiation. In patients who completed the planned course of the combined therapy with an adequate follow-up period of more than six months, 16 out of 18 lesions (in 9 patients) had a complete response, whereas only 1 out of 8 lesions (in 5 patients) had a permanent regression after radiation alone. The amount of radiation dose necessary to achieve a satisfactory tumor control in combination with radiofrequency heating has been 3000 rad (300 rad X 10 in 4 weeks) to 3200 rad (400 rad X 8 in 4 weeks). Importance of the temperature measurements of both tumor and the adjacent normal tissue is discussed.