Clinical outcomes of mild hyperthermia for locally advanced rectal cancer treated with preoperative radiochemotherapy

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this report was to determine the impact of hyperthermia (HT) on preoperative radiochemotherapy for locally advanced rectal cancer.

Materials and methods: Between 1996 and 2007, 235 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer were treated with concurrent preoperative radiochemotherapy with or without HT. The total dose of radiotherapy was 39.6 Gy for 109 patients (group A) and 45 Gy for 126 patients (group B). Two or three cycles of chemotherapy were administered. Hyperthermia was given immediately after radiotherapy.

Results: In the HT subgroup of group A, more patients achieved down-staging of T stage when compared to the non-HT subgroup (57.9% versus 38%, p = 0.047). For the cN+ subgroup of all patients, the number of patients with ypN+ were significantly less in the HT subgroup (25% versus 50%, p = 0.022). In group A, HT appeared to reduce distant metastasis, increase disease-free survival, and improve overall survival.

Conclusions: HT seemed to increase the response of both primary tumour and lymph nodes to preoperative radiochemotherapy in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer. The relationship between increased response by HT and survival should be confirmed by a large prospective randomised trial.

• hyperthermia
• preoperative radiochemotherapy
• rectal cancer