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USING HEAT FOR HEALING ... As far back as 5,000 B.C., Egyptian doctors treated tumors with heat. The Greeks recognized the value of heat in some medical treatments; indeed, the word hyperthermia comes from the Greek HYPER ("to raise") and THERME ("to heat"). Even the most ancient texts of the Law of Moses mention hot springs (Genesis 36:24) to therapeutically elevate body temperature. For many years, scientists have recognized that cancer cells are more sensitive to heat than normal cells, and that at high temperatures cancer cells break down. This helps explain why, after the Renaissance, there were reports of spontaneous tumor regressions in patients with smallpox, influenza, tuberculosis and malaria, where the common factor was an infectious fever of about 104º. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, there were scattered reports of similar successes. Yet, it was not until dedicated medical scientist , like Valley Cancer Institute's: James I. Bicher, M.D., a pioneer in the field, had worked for decades to provide a cohesive body of clinical research and testing, that hyperthermia was given legal status as an approved medical procedure, in 1984. For years, though the principles of tumor heating were widely understood, the technology to direct the heat in a concentrated area lagged behind the theory. In modern day hyperthermia, controlling heating placement is done using fine sensors and directional applicators, (many designed by Dr. Bicher), that are now standard in hyperthermic medical treatment worldwide. Using microwaves and computers with these devices, cancerous tumors are heated from 107º - 113º. This breaks down the tumor without harming the surrounding tissues, with no lasting side-effects. Since 1984, hyperthermic oncology, using concentrated heat to destroy cancerous tissue, has been regarded as standard and beneficial treatment, specifically recommended for locally recurrent tumors, and for primary cancer, where other treatment methods have a poor history of success.
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General Information: inforequest@vci.org Last modified: May 06, 2008 |
