Will hyperthermia conquer the elusive hypoxic cell? Implications of heat effects on tumor and normal-tissue microcirculation.

In tumor radiobiology, the hypoxic cell has become especially important because of recent evidence of acute hypoxic regions within experimental tumors. The impact of hyperthermia on the development of acute hypoxia is discussed. Two experiments for studying hyperthermia and hypoxia in tumors are presented. Knowledge of the microenvironment of tumor cells will be necessary to understand and improve tumor control.