Re-irradiation with hyperthermia in patients with recurrent breast cancer

• Published in: Nederlands tijdschrift voor geneeskunde Vol. 143; no. 2; p. 80
• Main Authors: van der Zee, J, van Rhoon, G C, Wijnmaalen, A J, Koper, P C, van Putten, W L
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: Dutch
• Published: Netherlands 09.01.1999
• Subjects: Aged; Breast Neoplasms - mortality; Breast Neoplasms - therapy; Clinical Protocols; Combined Modality Therapy; Female; Humans; Hyperthermia, Induced - methods; Middle Aged; Neoplasm Metastasis; Neoplasm Recurrence, Local - therapy; Palliative Care - methods; Radiotherapy - methods; Survival Rate
• ISSN: 0028-2162

In the Daniel den Hoed Cancer Centre in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, patients with recurrent breast cancer within a previously irradiated area, are treated by application of hyperthermia in addition to reirradiation. In this development, the following issues are important: (a) the choice of an effective and tolerable reirradiation schedule; (b) the establishment of the limitations of the hyperthermia techniques available; (c) the finding that additional hyperthermia has to be applied to the total tissue volume at risk for tumour recurrence; (d) the assessment of the value of additional hyperthermia by a randomised study. With the reirradiation schedule of 8 x 4 Gy and the hyperthermia application technique at present available, local control is achieved in 76% of the patients for a median duration of 32 months. The probability of local control is related to tumour size. The treatment is tolerated well, with acceptable toxicity. In patients with recurrent breast cancer in a previously irradiated area, combined reirradiation and hyperthermia is very effective, well tolerated and little toxic.