Kurzfassung

A wide spectrum of techniques targeted at specific biological characteristics of tumours is available for cancer treatment. Combinations of hyperthermia (HT) with other treatments present a promising approach and may allow amplification of the anti-tumour effects, as shown for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. A further innovative experimental combination in which HT is simultaneously combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been developed. This combination uses a single energy source to...A wide spectrum of techniques targeted at specific biological characteristics of tumours is available for cancer treatment. Combinations of hyperthermia (HT) with other treatments present a promising approach and may allow amplification of the anti-tumour effects, as shown for radiotherapy and chemotherapy. A further innovative experimental combination in which HT is simultaneously combined with photodynamic therapy (PDT) has been developed. This combination uses a single energy source to both deliver heat and to activate a photosensitizer and has been shown to have a pronounced antitumor effect with different photosensitizers.
Currently, a number of novel and already well-established photosensitizers are being investigated for combination with hyperthermia in order to identify whether a supra-additive effect can be achieved, and if so, whether this effect is predominantly due to direct tumor cell killing or whether it is achieved as a result of effects on the tumor vasculature.
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