[Adjuvant therapy concepts in advanced stomach carcinoma. Future treatment not without irradiation?]. / Adjuvante Therapiekonzepte beim fortgeschrittenen Magenkarzinom. Künftig nicht ohne Bestrahlung?

Perforation of the wall of the stomach, or positive lymph nodes appreciably worsens the prognosis of resected gastric carcinoma. In such a situation, neither adjuvant chemotherapy [12] nor optimal lymph node resection achieves a significant improvement in overall survival [5-8]. In contrast, a significant benefit of adjuvant radiochemotherapy after curative resection of advanced gastric carcinoma has been demonstrated. Thus, standardized postoperative radiochemotherapy should be applied after standardized surgery with a D1 resection. Optimal supportive treatment, that is, at least 1500 kcal/day, appropriate treatment of reflux or dumping symptoms, and supplementation for iron, vitamin B12 and calcium deficiency, is mandatory, if therapeutic success is not to be compromised [13,14].

A new microwave applicator with integrated cooling system for intracavitary hyperthermia of vaginal carcinoma.

An improved design of a previously described intracavitary microwave hyperthermia applicator is presented. The applicator consists of a coaxial choke antenna designed to be positioned into a perspex obturator. The antenna can be fitted in the obturator in three defined positions depending on the specific clinical situation: the selected median, paramedian or lateral position can each provide differently directed heating patterns. This feature combined with the additional axial variability of the antenna position within the obturator can lead to a highly targeted heating of tumours and a reduced risk of unwanted heating of normal tissues. Various phantom studies were conducted using both liquid and solid phantoms. The saline phantom was used to check the typical action of the choke of the antenna where it was found that the antenna choke is efficiently working resulting in a heating pattern which is dependent of the insertion depth of the antenna. The solid phantom was used to measure the typical specific absorption rate (SAR) distribution of each antenna/obturator configuration.

[Water-filtered infrared-A-hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy in advanced and recurrent tumors. Initial results of a multicenter phase I-II study]. / Wassergefilterte Infrarot-A-Hyperthermie, kombiniert mit Radiotherapie bei forgeschrittenen und rezidivierten Tumoren. Erste Ergebnisse einer multizentrischen Phase-I-II-Studie.

BACKGROUND: Water-filtered infrared-A-radiation (IR/A-HT) can be used to heat superficial malignant tumors. A prospective multicenter phase I-II study was conducted to evaluate toxicity and efficacy of IR/A-HT combined with external beam radiotherapy (RT). PATIENTS, MATERIAL AND METHODS: From December 1991 to June 1994, a total of 53 patients with 58 malignant lesions were entered in the study. There were 14 primary, 36 recurrent and 8 metastatic tumors which were located in the head and neck region (14), chest wall (31), abdominal wall (2) and the extremities (11). The mean tumor volume was 100 cm3. IR/A-HT was applied 1 to 2 times per week with up to 3 IR/A-HT-radiators directly before or after external RT for 1 hour at 40.5 to 44 degrees C. Temperatures were controlled at various locations at the skin surface and invasively at depth. RESULTS: IR/A-HT was well tolerated: in 31 (53%) lesions acute (pain, pulse or blood pressure changes, increased skin reaction etc.) and in 25 (43%) chronic side-effects (atrophy, telangiectasis, fibrosis etc.) were noted; usually the toxicity was minor and temporary. At 3 months FU, 32 (55%) lesions achieved a local CR and 19 (35%) a PR; at 12 months FU, 25 (43%) had persistent CR; 16 patients (18 lesions) were deceased and 3 (4 lesions) not yet in FU. In univariate analysis the following prognostic factors for CR at 3 or 12 months FU were found: Karnofsky, metastatic status, tumor size, total RT-dose, thermal parameters T min(av) and T mean. For acute toxicity maximum temperature Tmax(av) was prognostically decisive. Significant differences were also found when considering the "quality of the HT-application". The microwave technique was superior to the infrared-A-HT-technique with regard to the penetration depth of energy deposition. CONCLUSIONS: Water-filtered infrared-A-radiation can be safely and effectively applied to heat localized superficial tumors (up to 1 cm depth). To increase the area of HT application multiple infrared-A-radiators have to be combined. A multi-element-system is in progress.

Thermoradiotherapy for brain tumors. Three cases of recurrent malignant astrocytoma and review of clinical experience.

Three patients with symptomatic, recurrent supratentorial malignant astrocytoma were retreated with combined interstitial iridium-192 brachytherapy (RT) and hyperthermia (HT): 50 Gy at 50 cGy/h was delivered 10 mm outside the computed tomography (CT) enhancement border through stereotactically placed plastic tubes, and 915-MHz microwave antenna heating was done for 60 min within 30 min either before or after irradiation. Invasive thermometry data were obtained from the tumor and adjacent brain tissue. The patients tolerated the treatment well and two thirds improved. All patients developed cerebral edema, one also developed scalp infection, and another patient developed meningeal infection. Exceeding the expectancy without treatment, overall survival was 7, 12, and 15 months. On autopsy, two of the patients' brains revealed no active tumor in the treated regions, but one displayed tumor in untreated parts. The HT-RT treatment was very effective, but the original tumor extent was not apparent by the CT imaging technique. A postimplant resection approach may be advisable to minimize postimplant edema. Our data are in agreement with the available literature on more than 400 patients. However, our aim of extending survival decisively could not be realized.

Hyperthermia--its actual role in radiation oncology. Part IV: Thermo-radiotherapy for malignant brain tumors.

BACKGROUND: High-grade malignant gliomas have a dismal prognosis. Only achievement of long-term local control improves overall survival. Conventional treatments have not been successful, but thermoradiotherapy appears to be a promising new approach to this disease. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The review addresses the various HT techniques applied for brain heating, the biological rationale and experimental studies supporting the use of heat in addition to radiotherapy for brain tumors. Normal brain damage exposed to heat is critically evaluated. Clinical trials implementing HT for tumors of the brain accumulating more than 400 patients are discussed. RESULTS: HT is a feasible and effective approach to brain tumors. Important selection criteria are tumor size (< 6 cm) and location (supratentorial, peripheral). Acute treatment toxicity is relatively low and long-term side effects are similar to those observed for RT alone. In some studies a high response rate and improvement of survival was achieved. Tumor control and survival depend on histology (anaplastic astrocytoma vs. glioblastoma multiforme), extent of surgery (complete vs. incomplete), tumor status (primary vs. recurrent), age and performance status. Satisfactory heating also correlates significantly with favourable treatment outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The encouraging results of clinical trials may be biased by favourable tumor and patient selection. Randomized clinical trials comparing RT alone versus combined RT-HT for advanced and recurrent brain tumors are justified. Part I has covered biological and technical fundamentals of clinical hyperthermia and has been published in Strahlenther. Onkol. 168 (1992), 183-190. Part II has covered clinical fundamentals and results in superficial tumors of clinical hyperthermia and has been published in Strahlenther. Onkol. 169 (1993), 633-654. Part III has covered clinical rationale and results in deep seated tumors and has been published in Strahlenther. Onkol. 171 (1995), 251-264.

Hyperthermia--its actual role in radiation oncology. Part III: Clinical rationale and results in deep seated tumors.

PURPOSE: Combined hyperthermia and radiation therapy has been reported to yield higher complete and durable responses than radiotherapy alone in superficial tumors. In deep seated tumors the effect of the combined treatment is still under research. METHODS: The literature and own clinical data are reviewed with regard to biological and physical fundamentals and clinical results. RESULTS: Clinical phase I to II studies have applied regional hyperthermia in the abdomen, the pelvic region and the extremities. Usually primary advanced, persistent or local recurrent and metastatic tumors were selected for treatment either due to poor response to conventional therapy or for effective palliation. The clinical data are presented concerning the following topics: invasive thermometry, temperature parameter in tumor and normal tissue, toxicity, tumor response, treatment planning, clinical trials and prognostic factors. Clinical results of thermoradiotherapy for advanced or recurrent rectal cancer, cervical cancer and soft tissue sarcomas are reviewed in detail. In addition, the prognostic relevance of temperature parameters and physiological conditions such as global tumor perfusion are discussed. CONCLUSION: Clinical issues of optimization of regional thermoradiotherapy are: improvement of hyperthermia technique, analysis of biological effects and mechanisms involved in temperature elevation, selection of appropriate study concepts for specific tumor sites. Part I has covered biological and technical fundamentals of clinical hyperthermia and has been published in Strahlenther. Onkol. 168 (1992), 183-190. Part II has covered clinical fundamentals and results in superficial tumors of clinical hyperthermia and has been published in Strahlenther.

Multivariate analysis of prognostic parameters using interstitial thermoradiotherapy (IHT-IRT): tumor and treatment variables predict outcome.

PURPOSE: From January 1986 to October 1991, 90 patients with localized tumors were treated in a Phase I/II trial using low-dose 192Ir brachytherapy (IRT) plus interstitial 915 MHz microwave (MW) hyperthermia (IHT) and external beam radiotherapy (ERT). Tumors were classified as locally advanced primary (class 1: 27), recurrent (class 2: 40), metastatic (class 3: 10) and persistent (class 4: 13) lesions. The treatment sites included tumors of the head and neck (62), pelvis (26), and others (2). The mean cuboidal tumor volume was 63 cm3 (range: 8-288 cm3). Most recurrent and metastatic lesions (48) had received prior treatment including ERT. METHODS AND MATERIALS: The treatment protocol prescribed two heating sessions (each 60 min) at 41-44 degrees C before and after IRT. One hundred sixty-one IHT sessions were evaluated. Invasive thermal data were recorded at an average of 18 sites throughout the implant volume. Several thermal variables were analyzed (e.g., averaged parameters: Tmaxav, Tmean, Tminav; index parameters: T10, T50, T90). The study was evaluated with a minimum follow up (FU) of one year. Median follow-up was 19 months. RESULTS: At 3 months FU, a complete response (CR) was observed in 59 of 90 (66%) patients. At 12 months FU, local control (LC) was achieved in 54 of 84 (64%) evaluable patients. Ten patients developed a local and 14 a regional recurrence (REC) after achieving a CR and/or LC. At last FU, a total of 31 (34%) patients were still alive and 28 (31%) patients had relapse-free survival. For all 90 patients, the median overall survival was 20 months and the median relapse-free survival was 17 months. Overall and relapse-free survival was significantly longer for primary and persistent lesions as compared to recurrent and metastatic lesions (p = 0.002; p < 0.001). Totally 22 (24%) patients experienced acute or subacute side-effects (Grade 1: 12 patients; Grade 2: eight patients; Grade 3: two patients). CONCLUSION: Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed significant dependencies of CR, LC and REC upon tumor parameters as well as radiation and thermal parameters. The overall and relapse free survival was associated with tumor and radiation parameters. The multivariate analysis revealed two independent predictors of CR: tumor volume and minimum tumor temperature variables. We conclude, that IHT-IRT is a safe and effective treatment. The results provide important implications for planning HT-RT studies and for defining quality assurance (QA) criteria and thermal performance standards in HT studies.

Hyperthermia--its actual role in radiation oncology. Part II: Clinical fundamentals and results in superficial tumors.

This overview summarizes the most important clinical fundamentals to implement combined hyperthermia (HT) and radiotherapy (RT) in clinical trials and reviews clinical HT-RT data obtained in superficial and medium depth tumors treated with external heating devices. In the first part we discuss the following clinical fundamentals: selection of appropriate clinical sites for HT-RT studies, selection of suitable HT-devices, principle design of clinical HT-RT studies, requirements for treatment prescription, relevant treatment endpoints, definition and assessment of a thermal enhancement ratio (TER) and therapeutic gain factor (TGF), impact of prognostic parameters on treatment stratification and statistical evaluation. In the second part we review and discuss clinical results of thermoradiotherapy (HT-RT) for advanced breast carcinoma, recurrent breast cancer, advanced head and neck tumors, cervical neck node metastases, malignant melanomas and residual microscopic disease. In addition, clinical results of pilot studies are reviewed, which have applied a triple modality approach of thermo-radiochemotherapy (HRC) for various tumors. Finally, possible future perspectives of clinical HT-RT research are outlined.

Clinical experience with interstitial thermoradiotherapy for localized implantable pelvic tumors.

Twenty-six patients (20 females, 6 males) with localized tumors of the pelvis, including 3 primary advanced (PRIM), 7 persistent (PERS), 10 recurrent (REC), and 6 metastatic (MET) tumors, were treated with a combination of low-dose rate (LDR) iridium 192 interstitial radiotherapy (IRT), interstitial 915 MHz microwave hyperthermia (IHT), and external beam radiotherapy (RT). Histological diagnoses were squamous cell carcinoma in 13 (50%), adenocarcinoma in 12 (46%) and soft tissue sarcoma in 1 (4%) lesion. Tumor sites were cervix in 8 (31%), colorectum in 6 (23%), vagina in 4 (15%), anus in 3 (12%), ovary in 2 (8%), and other sites in 3 (12%) lesions. IHT was administered immediately before iridium 192 was placed and after its removal for 45-60 minutes at 41-44 degrees C. On December 31, 1991 median follow-up was 25 months (mean: 23 months; range: 5-65 months). At 3 months follow-up (FU), complete remission (CR) occurred in 17 (65%), partial remission (PR) in 7 (27%), and no change or progressive disease (NC/PD), in 2 (8%) lesions. At 12 months FU, in 16 of 21 patients (76%) local control (LC) was achieved, with 1 (5%) patient exhibiting a slow tumor regression. After combined IRT-IHT locoregional relapse or tumor regrowth occurred in 8/26 (31%): 5 (19%) outside and 3 (12%), inside the previously treated volume; relapses occurred within 8-30 (mean: 18) months of follow-up. Factors influencing initial (3 months FU) and long-term tumor response (12 months FU) included tumor class, tumor volume, total radiation dose, and thermal parameters with "good quality of heating" (TQ 41 degrees C > or = 75%) and high minimum tumor temperature (Tmin(av) > or = 41 degrees C). Treatment toxicity was acceptable: whereas 8 (31%) patients experienced acute side effects, which subsided within weeks, 7 (27%) developed long-term complications. Thermal damage was associated with IHT treatments exceeding maximum average temperatures of > or = 44 degrees C and maximum peak temperatures of > or = 45 degrees C.

Interstitial thermal radiation therapy: five-year experience with head and neck tumors.

Sixty-two patients with 24 primary advanced, six persistent, 28 locally recurrent, and four metastatic tumors of the head and neck were treated with combined interstitial low-dose iridium-192 radiation therapy, interstitial 915-MHz microwave hyperthermia (IHT), and external-beam radiation therapy. Diagnoses were squamous cell carcinoma in 56, adenocarcinoma in three, and soft-tissue sarcoma in three lesions. IHT was applied immediately before Ir-192 was placed and after its removal for 45-60 minutes at 41 degrees C-44 degrees C. At 3 months, complete remission had occurred in 39 lesions; partial remission, in 18; and no change or progressive disease, in five. At 12-month follow-up, local control was achieved in 29 of 50 patients; seven other patients had slow ongoing tumor regression with an unclear residual mass at computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging. Lesion type, tumor volume, total radiation dose, and thermal parameters with "good quality of heating" at high minimum tumor temperature were identified as statistically significant (P less than .05) prognostic factors influencing initial and long-term tumor response. There was no prognostic factor for acute or late thermal damage.

The current role of interstitial thermo-radiotherapy.

Internal methods of thermotherapy such as interstitial, endocavitary and perfusional hyperthermia in combination with high- (HDR) or low-dose rate (LDR) brachytherapy have gained increasing interest among oncologists due to the known radio- and chemosensitizing potential of heat. Interstitial techniques offer several advantages over percutaneous heating techniques: confined treatment volume with improved sparing of normal tissue; accessibility of deeper tumors in various sites; more homogeneous distribution of therapeutic temperatures; and better control and evaluation of thermal parameters, when using extensive "thermal mapping" procedures. Currently several promising techniques are investigated such as radiofrequency (RF), microwave (MW) and hot source (HS) techniques. In phase 1 to 2 studies interstitial hyperthermia (IHT) has been mostly applied in the head and neck and brain, the chest wall, the pelvic region and the extremities for primary advanced, persistent or local recurrent tumors, which have responded poorly to conventional treatment approaches. Preliminary data on 600 patients treated with interstitial thermo-radiotherapy (IHT-IRT) are extremely promising despite broad variations among the technical and clinical treatment parameters. The tumor response rate in various clinical trials ranges between 11% and 74% CR, and with respect of extensive pre-treatment approaches, the overall complication rate of 20% appears acceptable. So far several prognostic treatment factors have been identified: tumor volume; radiation dose; high minimum tumor temperatures and sufficiently good thermal quality of the hyperthermia treatment. Future technical innovations should broaden clinical implementations of interventional hyperthermia such as intraoperative hyperthermia and intracavitary hyperthermia. It would appear from these experiences, that interstitial hyperthermia is an effective and safe treatment modality, especially when combined with radiotherapy for tumor palliation. Prospective randomized multicentric studies have already been initiated to investigate its role in palliative and adjuvant tumor therapy.

Interstitial thermoradiotherapy: review on technical and clinical aspects.

Interstitial hyperthermia (IHT) combined with brachycurietherapy (thermoradiotherapy) has gained increasing popularity among radiation oncologists due to its potential as an effective radio- and chemosensitizer. IHT offers considerable advantages over percutaneous methods: confined treatment volume, better sparing of normal tissue, accessibility of deeper tumors, more homogeneous therapeutic temperature distribution, and better control and evaluation of thermal parameters using extensive "thermal mapping" procedures. This article addresses technical principles and clinical applications of IHT methods, radiofrequency (RF), microwave (MW), and hot source (HS) hyperthermia. Clinical phase I/II studies have used IHT palliatively for primary advanced, persistent, or local recurrent tumors, which have responded poorly to conventional treatment. The preliminary clinical data on greater than 500 patients treated with interstitial thermoradiotherapy are extremely promising despite the broad variation among the different treatment approaches. The observed complete response (CR) rate in various clinical trials ranges between 11 and 74%. The differences between the various techniques are minor, with a CR of 57% for interstitial RF hyperthermia (169 of 299 patients) and 60% for interstitial MW hyperthermia (130 of 215 patients). Despite extensive pretreatment, the total observed compliation rate of 22% for RF hyperthermia (67 of 299) and 21% for MW hyperthermia (45 of 215) is acceptable. The prognostic treatment factors identified are tumor volume, applied radiation dose, sufficiently high minimum tumor temperatures, and good thermal parameters, i.e., good quality of the hyperthermia treatment sessions. Technical innovations may facilitate and improve clinical applications and should allow broad clinical implementations of IHT, e.g., intraoperative hyperthermia, and even intracavitary hyperthermia. From these experiences it would appear that IHT is an effective and safe treatment modality, especially when combined with radiotherapy for tumor palliation. Prospective randomized multicentric studies have already been initiated to investigate its role in palliative and adjuvant tumor therapy.

Primary advanced and local recurrent head and neck tumors: effective management with interstitial thermal radiation therapy.

Thirty-seven patients with 18 primary advanced or persistent, 16 local recurrent, and three local metastatic tumors of the head and neck were treated with a combination of interstitial low-dose iridium-192 radiation therapy and interstitial 915-MHz microwave hyperthermia supplemented by external radiation therapy. Twenty-eight lesions received an additional external radiation dose of 21-61 Gy. Interstitial hyperthermia was applied immediately before Ir-192 was placed and after its removal for 45-60 minutes at 41 degrees C-44 degrees C. Follow-up ranged from 4 to 45 months. At 3 months, complete remission occurred in 25 lesions (68%); partial remission, in nine (24%); and no change or progressive disease, in three (8%). At 12 months of follow-up in 32 lesions, local control was achieved in 23 (72%), with the patients alive, and in four (12%), with the patients dead. There were five local recurrences, one of which occurred after complete response. Lesion type, tumor volume, radiation dose, and thermal quality at high minimum temperature were identified as prognostic factors influencing complete remission. The combined treatment was well tolerated.

Initial results of phase I/II interstitial thermoradiotherapy for primary advanced and local recurrent tumors.

Since January 1986 in a phase I/II study, 45 lesions (30 head and neck, 11 pelvic, and 4 other lesions) in 44 patients (24 men, 20 women; age 18-81 years) received a combination of interstitial Ir-192 radiotherapy (IRT) and interstitial 915 MHz MW hyperthermia (IHT) supplemented by external radiation (ERT). In June 1989, evaluation was performed for lesions with minimum follow-up (FU) of 6 months and FU periods between 6 and 39 months (mean: 16 months, SD +/- 9). The tumors comprised 21 advanced primary (AP) lesions without prior ERT, 18 local recurrent (LR) and 6 local metastatic (LM) lesions with variable prior treatment modes; 24 lesions had received prior ERT between 40 and 70 Gy, 23 chemotherapy and 30 prior surgery. The mean dimensions of 42 lesions were 4.5 X 4.0 X 3.0 (cm3) with tumor volumes ranging from 12 to 135 cm3 (mean: 54 cm3, SD +/- 35); 3 lesions had extensive tumor volumes greater than 225 cm3. IHT was applied immediately prior to and/or after low-dose Ir-192 IRT (20-30 Gy) for 60 min at temperatures between 41 and 44 degrees C. ERT (40-50 Gy) was always given for AP and LM lesions, but variably applied for previously irradiated LR lesions, thereby avoiding the cumulative radiation dose exceeding 110 Gy per site. IRT doses ranged from 17-48 Gy (mean: 26.8 Gy, SD +/- 8) at a dose rate of 25-70 cGy/h (mean: 42 cGy/h, SD +/- 12). Thirty-three lesions received additional ERT of 30-56 Gy (mean: 46.5 Gy, SD +/- 9). Total radiation dose (IRT + ERT dose) ranged from 31 to 82 Gy (mean: 61 Gy, SD +/- 18). The hyperthermia systems of Lund/Buchler 4010 and Clini-Therm Mark VI/IX with thermistor or fiber-optic thermometry devices were employed. Initial response at 3 months FU showed 31 (69%) lesions complete response (CR), 10 (22%) partial response (PR), and 4 (9%) no change (NC). Long-term response of 30 lesions at 12 months FU revealed a total of 27 (90%) with local control (LC) and 3 (10%) in-field recurrences. Six patients died prior to 12 months FU, three with LC and three with progressive disease. So far 10 (22%) patients have developed distant metastases. Acute side-effects occurred in 15 lesions (33%) resulting in 12 (27%) long-term complications with 3 lesions (7%) requiring surgery.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

[Methods and clinical results of interstitial thermoradiotherapy]. / Methoden und klinische Ergebnisse der interstitiellen Thermoradiotherapie.

Besides percutaneous hyperthermia techniques, some new interstitial procedures have been developed and included into the arsenal of radiotherapists. As compared to percutaneous techniques, considerable benefits are offered by interstitial methods: a more homogeneous distribution of therapeutical temperatures, a better sparing of normal tissue, the possibility to treat deep tumors, and better therapy control and evaluation by extensive "thermal mapping" within the target volume. This study presents the technical principles and the clinical possibilities of the interstitial hyperthermia methods developed hitherto: resistive radiofrequency hyperthermia, radiative microwave hyperthermia, inductive ferromagnetic seed hyperthermia, and conductive hot-water perfusion hyperthermia. Until now, interstitial thermo-radiotherapy was only performed during some phase I/II studies. It was applied for palliative reasons in persisting and recurrent tumors accessible for implantation and situated in superficial to semi-deep locations with no or insufficient response to differently combined treatment modalities (surgery, radiotherapy, or chemotherapy). The preliminary clinical results obtained in almost 300 patients are quite promising: complete remission rates up to 70% have been achieved. Interstitial hyperthermia represents an effective and safe therapy modality, especially when combined with radiotherapy in palliative tumor therapy. At present, several prospective randomized multicentric studies are conducted to investigate its value as adjuvant therapy modality.

External microwave hyperthermia combined with radiation therapy for extensive superficial chest wall recurrences.

From January 1986 to January 1987 at Hahnemann University Hospital, Philadelphia, 13 patients were treated with combined external hyperthermia and radiation therapy to extensive chest wall recurrences from carcinoma of the breast. A total of 145 hyperthermia sessions for 27 different hyperthermia fields were analyzed in this study. Mixed photon (10 MV) or electron beam (6-15 MeV) radiation therapy (16-50.5 Gy, two to five weekly fractions of 1.5-2.0 Gy) was given followed within 30 min by external 915-MHz microwave hyperthermia (two weekly fractions for 60 min at 41-44 degrees C). Temperature recordings were made at up to 24 points in the center and periphery and at junctions of fields. The thermal dose concept of Sapareto (T43 Eq) was used to evaluate the relationship between maximum or minimum temperature (TMAX/TMIN) and rates of complication and of CR for each treatment field. Our results indicate that total or mean TMAX43 Eq per hyperthermia treatment field is related to complication rate, whereas total or mean TMIN43 Eq is related to CR rate. Also, higher radiation dose and smaller involved tumor area are related to higher CR rates. At 1 month follow-up 13/27 (48%) fields showed CR. At 3 months, four more CRs were noted, yielding 17/23 (74%) CR.