Intensive preoperative radiotherapy with local hyperthermia for the treatment of gastric carcinoma.

In order to devitalize maximally tumour tissue and improve the prognosis of gastric cancer patients, a method employing preoperative intensive radiotherapy with local hyperthermia as adjuvant treatment was evaluated. In order to estimate the effectiveness of preoperative intensive radiation and radiation with local microwave hyperthermia in radical gastric cancer treatment, 293 patients were randomized into three respective treatment groups: surgery alone, surgery preceded by preoperative radiation; and surgery followed by preoperative radiation and hyperthermia. Preoperative radiation therapy to a total dose of 20 Gy in four 5 Gy fractions did not improve 3- or 5-year survival in gastric cancer patients in comparison with surgery alone. Local hyperthermia in combination with radiation therapy followed by surgery produced a significant improvement in 3-year survival of 22.1% (from 35.5 +/- 4.9% to 57.6 +/- 6.3%, P < 0.05) and 5-year survival of 21.3% (from 30.1 +/- 4.7 to 51.4 +/- 6.6%, P < 0.05). In unresectable gastric cancer patients, radiation therapy and radiation therapy with hyperthermia both increase mean survival. In conclusion; intensive preoperative radiation therapy in total dose 20 Gy plus local microwave hyperthermia significantly improved 3- and 5-year survival in comparison with surgery alone. Further development and evaluation of equipment to produce reliable and safe delivery systems for hyperthermia is needed.

[Combination treatment of cancer of the stomach using preoperative telegammatherapy in combination with local SHF-hyperthermia]. / Kombinirovannoe lechenie raka zheludka s predoperatsionnoi telegammaterapiei v sochetanii s lokal'noi SVCh-gipertermiei.

The immediate and long-term results of treatment of 178 patients with gastric cancer, who underwent before surgery intensive telegammatherapy in combination with local SHF-hyperthermia, and without it, were studied. The total focal dosage was 20 Gy, temperature on the surface of a tumour reached 41-43 degrees C. At the late period, the increase in survival of the patients, who had no lesions of the regional lymphatic nodes was noted. In patients with regional metastases, the reverse effect was observed.

[Temperature distribution in normal and tumor tissues of animals subjected to local SHF-hyperthermia]. / Raspredelenie temperatur v normal'nykh i opukholevykh tkaniakh zhivotnykh pri lokal'noi SVCh-gipertermii.

Temperature gradients are studied in normal and tumour tissues of animals under different duration of treatment (6-30 min) with microwave field which has a frequency of 460 MHz and 40 W power range. It is shown that in animal muscles and tumours an increase in the temperature is directly dependent on the time of microwave heating, the maximum temperatures being obtained in the depth of tissues, while there is no overheating in subcutaneous fatty tissues.