Minimally invasive thermotherapy method for tumor treatment based on an exothermic chemical reaction

Abstract

In tumor thermotherapy treatment, it is very difficult to achieve the objective of exactly killing the tumor while minimizing the injury of healthy tissues or organs surrounding the tumor. In this study, we describe a new minimally invasive thermotherapy protocol for tumor treatment using heat released from an exothermic chemical reaction, which can safely deliver a totally localized and uniform heating to exactly kill the tumor. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments were performed to test the feasibility of this thermotherapy method based on an exothermic chemical reaction. After injection of only a small amount of matched reactants into the target tissue by medical syringes, an exothermic reaction takes place, and then releases tremendous heat to elevate the temperature to its thermally lethal value. Compared with most of the currently existing thermotherapy strategies, this heating is highly localized, completely safe and uniform, which will remarkably reduce the thermal damage and mechanical trauma to the surrounding healthy tissues. This study opens the clinical possibilities for tumors to be treated in a minimally invasive way by a thermotherapy treatment based on an exothermic chemical reaction.

• Tumor hyperthermia
• thermotherapy
• minimally invasive treatment
• exothermic chemical reaction
• reaction heat