Hyperthermia

The Maryland Proton Treatment Center (MPTC) is proud to be the only center in the world to offer hyperthermia and proton therapy at the same facility. Since the fall of 2018, MPTC has offered deep-tissue external hyperthermia as a potential way to boost survival chances for patients.

Hyperthermia works by heating the tumor tissue to moderate temperatures (between 104-110 degrees Fahrenheit), dilating the tumor blood vessels. This brings more oxygen into the tumor, which makes cancer cells more vulnerable to radiation therapy.

Prior to the introduction of deep-tissue hyperthermia at MPTC, superficial hyperthermia, was already in use by the Department of Oncology at the University of Maryland Marlene and Stewart Greenebaum Comprehensive Cancer Center (UMGCCC). It is highly recommended when treating breast cancer patients with chest wall reoccurrence, as well as other superficial or palpable cancers, especially occurring in an area of previous radiation.

However, unlike external hyperthermia, which targets cancers closer to the surface, MPTC’s deep-tissue therapy is able to treat cancers that are deeper in the body. This includes cancers of the abdominal and pelvic region, including those of the bladder, rectum, cervix, ovaries, pancreas and connective tissue, which are known as sarcomas.

Patient Experience

MPTC patient Corinne Hanooman received deep-tissue external hyperthermia concurrently with proton therapy as part of her treatment for a recurrent gynecological cancer. Watch her story in the video above.