Though usually paired with chemotherapy or radiationtherapy, solo hyperthermia can be beneficial for patients in need of a gentle treatment.
Hyperthermia encourages the body’s immune system to fight back.
The immune system is tasked with keeping the body safe from illness, but even those with strong immune systems are susceptible to contracting cancer. This is because cancer cells are uniquely able to evade the immune system’s defenses. Initially, cancer cells start out like healthy cells. Even after they develop into cancerous versions, they can ‘hide in plain sight’ and avoid detection from T cells. Hyperthermia weakens the integrity of cancerous cells. As they break down, certain components of the cancerous cells trigger the body’s immune system. Once the immune system recognizes that these elements are harmful, it is able to adapt and attack them.