Cervical cancer is the fourth most common cancer in women globally, with around 660 000 new cases and around 350 000 deaths in 2022. The cancer has a poor longevity prognosis if diagnosed too late.
This is why a specialized heat therapy using a technology called modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is under review in this article. We look at recent research conducted by the leading university, the University of the Witwatersrand in South Africa. Researchers highlight how mEHT, a specialized form of heat therapy treatment, can help in the fight against cervical cancer.
Is Heat Therapy A Breakthrough Treatment?
For any woman diagnosed with cervical cancer, the side effects of surgery, radiation, and chemotherapy (including hair loss) are already a daunting prospect – let alone fighting the cancer itself. But new approaches in medicine now look at targeting specific vulnerabilities in cancer cells and working with the immune system as part of a holistic cancer treatment plan.
One such breakthrough that has arrived on South African shores is in the space of hyperthermia, which involves heating a tumor to sensitize it to radiation or chemotherapy.
Heat Therapy for Cervical Cancer
Although hyperthermia itself has been around for decades, the cost and complexity of the technology required to safely heat tumors have hindered its uptake in countries like South Africa.
A new technology called modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT), now applies modulated radiofrequency waves to safely and selectively target the tumor, making the treatment more affordable and simpler to deliver.
Research results announced by the team from Witwatersrand University this year show mEHT has the potential to be a powerful tool in the treatment of cervical cancer in South Africa.
What’s the connection to heat?
The use of heat to treat disease dates to ancient Greek Civilization – “hyper” meaning increase, and “therme” meaning heat. In fact, Hippocrates (460-370 BC), the father of modern medicine, expressed a strong belief in the power of heat to heal.
Doctors began applying heat to manage cancer tumors as early as the 1900s, although the technology back then did not allow for the safe use of heat to treat cancer. Fast-forward to today, and doctors now have a more scientific understanding of heat’s effects on tissues, as well as the technology for more precise and controlled methods for delivering heat.
Hyperthermia is already a well-established treatment option in many countries. In fact, it has a list of applications growing as more trials are done on different types of cancers.
It is typically used to treat large, inoperable tumors or tumors that are not responding well to other treatments. International and local studies have shown that hyperthermia has the potential to improve treatment outcomes while also reducing treatment costs.
How does modulated electro-hyperthermia work?
The heat therapy technology creates an electromagnetic field to heat the tumor to between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius. It does so without affecting healthy tissue. This makes the tumor more susceptible to the damage done by radiation, and in some cases, chemotherapy. It thus slows down the cancer’s ability to repair itself. The technique is also able to trigger an immune response to cancer.
Hyperthermia is therefore used in conjunction with standard treatments to increase the impact of the cancer treatment, without increasing side effects.
Cervical cancer burden
In 2006, mEHT was launched in the European market. Then, in 2014, a team of researchers from Witwatersrand University began testing this technology for cervical cancer treatment. The researchers investigated the addition of mEHT to standard treatment protocols for locally advanced cervical cancer and monitored the participants for five years post-treatment.
Dr. Carrie Anne Minaar, lead researcher on the mEHT study
What the trial revealed
This 10-year trial has been groundbreaking for several reasons. For one, it’s the first phase III trial on the technology. It’s also the first hyperthermia trial conducted in Africa, and the first hyperthermia trial to include HIV-positive participants.
The results announced recently are encouraging. It shows that adding mEHT to chemotherapy and radiation can cost-effectively improve patients’ quality of life and chances of achieving a five-year disease-free survival status. Using mEHT as a support to chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced cervical cancer, the research has proven it to be a cost-saving, successful way to treat patients.
This is particularly significant considering the inequity in access to screening and treatment that exists in South Africa.
A paradigm shift in how we approach cervical cancer treatment
Dr. Carrie Anne Minnaar, a PhD doctor at Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre University who led the study, said:
“The findings of our research go beyond statistical success; they offer a potential paradigm shift in how we can approach cervical cancer treatment.”
The researchers commented, “Granted, access to this technology and trained professionals is still just emerging in South Africa. Yet, the release of these results should accelerate its adoption as well as promote trials on other tumor types.”
End Note
In many countries, especially first world countries, heat therapy treatment is available privately at the patient’s expense. Cervical cancer is more prevalent in older women and those who have been diagnosed with certain strains of HPV. Given that diagnosis requires regular screening, it impacts lower-income women more than others who have access to regular gynea check-ups. Depending on when diagnosed, the strain and access to good healthcare will influence how long a cancer patient will live from diagnosis. If you think you are at risk, make sure you get regular check ups.
Main photo credit: Non-profit association “Hellenic Society of Personalized Oncology“
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Did you know that regular Pap screening can help to decrease cervical cancer incidence and mortality by at least 80%?
It’s no wonder Grammy winner Ciara has previously done her part to spread awareness about cervical cancer and HPV screening, especially when she, as a black woman, faces a much higher risk for the disease.
Ciara Wants Black Women To Protect Themselves Against Cervical Cancer
