Hyperthermia Blog

News and Opinions About Our Industry

The Hyperthermia European Adjuvant Trial (HEAT) was a study that involved 117 patients with pancreatic cancer. It was an open-label, multicenter trial with two groups: a control group and an adjuvant therapy group. The control group received only gemcitabine, a standard chemotherapy drug, while the adjuvant therapy group received gemcitabine along with cisplatin and hyperthermia, using the BSD-2000 3D Deep Regional Hyperthermia System.

Although the disease-free survival was slightly better in the group receiving hyperthermia (12.7 months) compared to the control group (11.2 months), the 5-year overall survival was much better in the hyperthermia group (28.4%) compared to the control group (18.7%). This is a significant increase compared to the 5-year overall survival rate for PDAC of ~20%.

Note: In the middle of the study, the standard of care was changed from gemcitabine to folfirinox, which prevented the population of the study from reaching the original target.

The study, "Regional hyperthermia with cisplatin added to gemcitabine versus gemcitabine in patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: The HEAT randomised clinical trial" by Dr. Rolf Isles et al, was published in the European Journal of Cancer. [Eur J Cancer. 2022;181:155-165. doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2022.12.009]. A link to the abstract can be found here.

A ribbon-cutting ceremony was held to announce the opening of the Tumor Hyperthermia Center and the installation of a Pyrexar BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia System. The recent addition of a Mevion radiotherapy system makes this the first dual therapy, deep regional hyperthermia/proton center in Asia. 

jinshazhou ribbon

The BSD-2000 Hyperthermia System is used to treat cancer tumors and aid radiotherapy and chemotherapy treatments by raising the tumor micro-environment to 43˚C. This increase in temperature improves blood flow and perfusions, promotes immune modulation, prevents cancer cells from DNA repair and leads to cancer cell death.

jinshazhou treatment 2

The facility, located in the Guangdong Province, is a joint-venture between Jinshazhou Hospital and Australia's ICON Group. The University of Wollongong in New South Wales also collaborates with the center to provide medical physics research, training, and education.

jinshazhou bldg

A special thank you to the team at Orientech for their hard work and dedication in placing this system in the hospital.

After taking a two year break due to COVID restrictions, the CME accredited educational program offered by the University of Maryland, School of Thermal Oncology is now open for registration.

  • UMMC hyperthermia training
    University of Maryland Thermal Oncology School CME course
    held at the Maryland Proton Center in Baltimore, MD
  • Thermal oncology training team
    The educational team included (left to right) JW Snider, MD; Paul Stauffer;
    Dario Rodrigues, PhD; Jason Molitoris, MD, PhD; Mariana Guerrero,PhD; John Hayes,MD;
    and Zeljko Vujaskovic, MD, Phd
  • Participants from the U.S., Poland, South Korea and key hospitals in the
    U.S. attended the 2-day lecture and workshop
  • Professor Stauffer, from Thomas Jefferson University, discusses Treatment Planning
    and Execution
  • Dr. Rodrigues demonstrates temperature probe placement in a phantom on the BSD-2000
  • BSD-500 Superficial Hyperthermia at University of Maryland
    Dr. Guerrero (UMMC) with Mr. Stauffer (Thomas Jefferson) demonstrate the operation
    of the BSD-500 Superficial/Interstitial Hyperthermia system.
  • Participants discuss the operation of the BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia System
  • The thermal oncology staff at the University of Maryland use lasers for
    reliable, repeatable patient positioning
  • Doctors' Biswal and Rodriques discuss operational safety and RF field management
  • Using a phantom to simulate temperature management on the BSD-500
  • South Korean delegation at the Maryland Proton Center

The last session drew an international crowd, including physicians from South Korea, Poland, and Japan, as well as prominent cancer centers here in the U.S. The feedback we received, and this was a five-star educational program, valuable to any member of a thermal oncology team.  Topics covered all aspects of practice management, patient treatment, physics, and workflow. Practice managers shared how adding thermal oncology to their services increased overall service revenue by over 19%.  This information is essential for centers that would like to add hyperthermia systems but require cost justification to receive purchase approval.

In 2022, the course will be held October 6th-7th in Baltimore Maryland. 
Registration is limited to 24 seats.

Pyrexar Medical continues to support educational outreach from organizations like the University of Maryland, Society of Thermal Medicine, European Society for Hyperthermic Oncology, and similar institutions that strive to move forward hyperthermia research in the treatment of cancer. The CME course outline can be found here.

On June 17, Tübingen University Hospital officially inaugurated its new BSD-2000 3D/MR Image-Guided Hyperthermia System (IGHT), supplied by Pyrexar Medical/Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik GmbH/ and Philips Healthcare.

Image-Guided Hyperthermia uses live MRI images to verify optimal tumor temperature to ensure optimal radiosensitizing benefits of the therapy. This non-invasive approach allows the operator to move the thermal zone or adjust power output with a touchscreen interface.  The steering process avoids patient applicator repositioning or the interruption of treatment, improving workflow and thermal dose.

This state-of-the-art system will be shared by the Clinic for Radiation Oncology and the Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology. In this way, it not only serves cancer treatment but will also be used for diagnostic imaging, primarily for pediatric radiology. 

The photo above shows those taking part in the celebrations: (left to right, Copyright Universitätsklinikum Tübingen/Janina Fischer) Prof. Dr. Daniel Zips (Director of the University Department of Radiation Oncology), Susanne Schäfer (MTA in radiology), Prof. Dr. Michael Bamberg (Chief Medical Director and Chairman of the Executive Board), Dr. Gerhard Sennewald (CEO), Prof. Dr. Konstantin Nikolaou (Director of the University Department of Radiology and of Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology), Prof. Dr. Jürgen Schäfer (Head of Pediatric Radiology), and Thomas Richter of Philips GmbH.

 

The First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University celebrated the opening of its thermal oncology center located in the Henan province of mainland China.  The hospital constructed a custom hyperthermia suite to house the BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia system built by Pyrexar Medical.  First Affiliated has a long history of hyperthermic clinical research and plans to further pioneer its use, in addition to general clinical use for their cancer patients.

Often referred to as "the largest hospital in the world", First Affiliated offers 7,000 beds. Compare that to the largest medical center in the US, New York-Presbyterian at 2,678 and you get to understand the colossal scale of the facility.

  • BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia

The opening celebration included a presentation ceremony, lectures on hyperthermia in the treatment of cancer, and a tour of the facility, attracting physicians and medical professionals from the area.

What does that mean for the future of hyperthermia in China? Thermal therapy has long been accepted in Asia and is growing steadily. The prestige,  influence, and access of a medical facility of this magnitude is expected to result in accelerated demand for Pyrexar system installations throughout China.

A special thanks to the talented team at our distributor Dalian Orientech for their dedication to bringing the best in medical technology to the region.

Soft Tissue Sarcoma cancer study using hyperthermia

The link between increased longevity and hyperthermia treatment was considered a landmark study when it published in late 2018 in the Journal of the American Medical Association.

sennewald sts infographic

Recently, our partners at Sennewald Medizintechnik, caught up with renowned expert and cancer study co-author Professor Dr. Lars Lindner of Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität (LMU) in Munich to get a deeper understanding of the findings.

After examining over 30 Soft Tissue Sarcoma trials, Prof. Dr. Linder lists the top four significant findings:

  1. Doxorubicin-based chemotherapy is and remains the standard of care for soft tissue sarcomas.
  2. The benefit of chemotherapy has also been shown in the adjuvant situation in high-risk patients.
  3. Neoadjuvant therapy is preferable because it combats potential micrometastasis at the earliest possible time and improves operability.
  4. Regional hyperthermia improves the effectiveness of chemotherapy and leads to improved patient survival.

The complete interview is available on the Sennewald Medizintechnik April 2021 newsletter.

ESHO-Pyrexar Award Winner Dr. Niloy Datta

The 2020 ESHO-Pyrexar Award presentation included the history and merits of Professor Niloy Datta, celebrating his achievements in the field of thermal oncology.  What follows the award presentation is nothing less than a Master Class in thermal oncology.  Dr. Datta shares highlights of his research and his vision for the pathway to hyperthermia expansion and success.

esho datta 2

Along with presenting evidence of the increased value to the patient that hyperthermia brings, Dr. Datta also touches on the financial rationale of adding a thermal oncology program to your hospital.

esho datta 3

Below find a summary of recently published works involving hyperthermia by Datta et al.

Concurrent chemoradiotherapy vs. radiotherapy alone in locally advanced cervix cancer: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Datta NR, Stutz E, Liu M, Rogers S, Klingbiel D, Siebenhüner A, Singh S, Bodis S.
Gynecol Oncol. 2017 May;145(2):374-385. doi: 10.1016/j.ygyno.2017.01.033. Epub 2017 Feb 7.
PMID: 28188016 Review.
Integrating Loco-Regional Hyperthermia Into the Current Oncology Practice: SWOT and TOWS Analyses.
Datta NR, Kok HP, Crezee H, Gaipl US, Bodis S.
Front Oncol. 2020 Jun 12;10:819. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2020.00819. eCollection 2020.
PMID: 32596144 Free PMC article. Review.
Hyperthermia and radiotherapy in bladder cancer.
Snider JW 3rd, Datta NR, Vujaskovic Z.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2016 Jun;32(4):398-406. doi: 10.3109/02656736.2016.1150524. Epub 2016 Apr 20.
PMID: 27097528 Review.
Hyperthermia with radiotherapy reduces tumour alpha/beta: Insights from trials of thermoradiotherapy vs. radiotherapy alone.
Datta NR, Bodis S.
Radiother Oncol. 2019 Sep;138:1-8. doi: 10.1016/j.radonc.2019.05.002. Epub 2019 May 24.
PMID: 31132683
Hyperthermia with photon radiotherapy is thermoradiobiologically analogous to neutrons for tumors without enhanced normal tissue toxicity.
Datta NR, Bodis S.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2019;36(1):1073-1078. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2019.1679895.
PMID: 31709846
Early results and volumetric analysis after spot-scanning proton therapy with concomitant hyperthermia in large inoperable sacral chordomas.
Tran S, Puric E, Walser M, Poel R, Datta NR, Heuberger J, Pica A, Marder D, Lomax N, Bolsi A, Morach P, Bachtiary B, Seddon BM, Schneider R, Bodis S, Weber DC.
Br J Radiol. 2020 Mar;93(1107):20180883. doi: 10.1259/bjr.20180883. Epub 2019 May 14.
PMID: 30943055
A Pilot Study of Radiotherapy and Local Hyperthermia in Elderly Patients With Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancers Unfit for Definitive Surgery or Chemoradiotherapy.
Datta NR, Stutz E, Puric E, Eberle B, Meister A, Marder D, Timm O, Rogers S, Wyler S, Bodis S.
Front Oncol. 2019 Sep 10;9:889. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2019.00889. eCollection 2019.
PMID: 31552192 Free PMC article.
Local hyperthermia combined with radiotherapy and-/or chemotherapy: recent advances and promises for the future.
Datta NR, Ordóñez SG, Gaipl US, Paulides MM, Crezee H, Gellermann J, Marder D, Puric E, Bodis S.
Cancer Treat Rev. 2015 Nov;41(9):742-53. doi: 10.1016/j.ctrv.2015.05.009. Epub 2015 May 27.
PMID: 26051911 Review.
Hyperthermia and radiotherapy in the management of head and neck cancers: A systematic review and meta-analysis.
Datta NR, Rogers S, Ordóñez SG, Puric E, Bodis S.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2016;32(1):31-40. doi: 10.3109/02656736.2015.1099746. Epub 2015 Nov 16.
PMID: 26928474 Review.
Hyperthermia and Radiation Therapy in Locoregional Recurrent Breast Cancers: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.
Datta NR, Puric E, Klingbiel D, Gomez S, Bodis S.
Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 2016 Apr 1;94(5):1073-87. doi: 10.1016/j.ijrobp.2015.12.361. Epub 2015 Dec 21.
PMID: 26899950 Review.
Hyperthermia and radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy in locally advanced cervical cancer: a systematic review with conventional and network meta-analyses.
Datta NR, Rogers S, Klingbiel D, Gómez S, Puric E, Bodis S.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2016 Nov;32(7):809-21. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2016.1195924. Epub 2016 Aug 14.
PMID: 27411568 Review.
Proton Irradiation with Hyperthermia in Unresectable Soft Tissue Sarcoma.
Datta NR, Schneider R, Puric E, Ahlhelm FJ, Marder D, Bodis S, Weber DC.
Int J Part Ther. 2016 Fall;3(2):327-336. doi: 10.14338/IJPT-16-00016.1. Epub 2016 Dec 30.
PMID: 31772984 Free PMC article.
Could hyperthermia with proton therapy mimic carbon ion therapy? Exploring a thermo-radiobiological rationale.
Datta NR, Puric E, Schneider R, Weber DC, Rogers S, Bodis S.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2014 Nov;30(7):524-30. doi: 10.3109/02656736.2014.963703. Epub 2014 Oct 14.
PMID: 25314095
Hyperthermia and reirradiation for locoregional recurrences in preirradiated breast cancers: a single institutional experience.
Datta NR, Puric E, Heüberger J, Marder D, Lomax N, Timm O, Memminger P, Bodis S.
Swiss Med Wkly. 2015 Apr 23;145:w14133. doi: 10.4414/smw.2015.14133. eCollection 2015.
PMID: 25906357
"HEATPAC" - a phase II randomized study of concurrent thermochemoradiotherapy versus chemoradiotherapy alone in locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
Datta NR, Pestalozzi B, Clavien PA, Siebenhüner A, Puric E, Khan S, Mamot C, Riesterer O, Knuchel J, Reiner CS, Bodis S; members of the HEATPAC Trial Group.
Radiat Oncol. 2017 Nov 21;12(1):183. doi: 10.1186/s13014-017-0923-8.
PMID: 29162142 Free PMC article. Clinical Trial.
Enhanced tumour regression in a patient of liposarcoma treated with radiotherapy and hyperthermia: Hint for dynamic immunomodulation by hyperthermia.
Datta NR, Grobholz R, Puric E, Bode-Lesniewska B, Lomax N, Khan S, Gaipl US, Fuchs B, Bodis S.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2015;31(5):574-7. doi: 10.3109/02656736.2015.1033482. Epub 2015 Apr 20.
PMID: 25893831 No abstract available.

 A special thanks to Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik for sponsoring the award and presentation.

Medical news may be dominated by pandemic coverage, but cancer research still moves forward.  We did a quick search on clinicaltrials.gov for trials using hyperthermia as an adjunct to radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy.  The listing below is a summary of studies around the world. 

Clinical Study Indication Facility Country  Pyrexar Installation
Hyperthermia and High Dose Rate Radiation Therapy in Treating Patients With Recurrent Prostate Cancer After Radiation Prostate Cancer Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University USA ✔ 
Hyperthermia and Proton Therapy in Unresectable Soft Tissue Sarcoma Soft Tissue Sarcoma Kantonsspital Aarau Switzerland
Effectiveness of the Combined WLI and Hyperthermia for GI Cancer Liver Metastasis Metastatic Liver Cancer Samsung Medical Center South Korea  
Hypofractionated Radiotherapy With Hyperthermia in Unresectable or Marginally Resectable Soft Tissue Sarcomas Soft Tissue Sarcoma Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute - Oncology Center Poland  
Combination of Hyperthermia and Concurrent Chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) for Recurrent Head and Neck Cancer Head/Neck Shin Kong Wu Ho-Su Memorial Hospital Taiwan  
Radiotherapy With Hyperthermia in Recurrent and Radiation-Induced Sarcomas Sarcoma Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology  Poland  
Preoperative Radiochemotherapy With Hyperthermia for Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer Rectal Cancer University Hospital Tübingen Germany  
Salvage Brachytherapy and Hyperthermia for Recurrent H&N-tumours Head/Neck Cancer Sidney Kimmel Cancer Center at Thomas Jefferson University  United States  
Local Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasias Cervical Cancer First Hospital of China Medical University China  
Image-guided Targeted Doxorubicin Delivery With Hyperthermia to Optimize Loco-regional Control in Breast Cancer Breast Cancer University Medical Center Utrecht Netherlands  
Hyperthermia European Adjuvant Trial Pancreatic Cancer Klinikum Grosshadern Medical Center Germany
Salvage Brachytherapy and Interstitial Hyperthermia for Locally Recurrent Prostate Carcinoma Following Radiation Therapy

Prostate Cancer
 
Strahlenklinik im Universitaetsklinikum Erlangen Germany

 
 Centrum Radiotherapy  Poland  
 Maria Sklodowska-Curie Institute - Oncology Center  Poland  
Effects of Deep Regional Hyperthermia in Patients With Anal Carcinoma Treated by Standard Radiochemotherapy Anal Cancer Universitaetsklinikum Erlangen Germany  
Concurrent Hyperthermia and Chemoradiotherapy in LAPC: Phase II Study Pancreatic Cancer Kantonsspital Aarau Switzerland  
Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation With 5-FU(or Capecitabine) and Oxaliplatin Combined With Hyperthermia in Rectal Cancer


Rectal Cancer   Klinik Bad Trissl  Germany   
Bad Trissl  Germany  
 University Hospital Duesseldorf  Germany  
 Universitätsklinikum Erlangen  Germany  
Radiation Therapy or Chemoradiation Interstitial Brachytherapy in Combination With Hyperthermia in Advanced Cervical Cancer Cervical Cancer Universitätsklinikum Erlangen Germany  
Combination of Immunotherapy and Hyperthermia in Advanced Malignant Mesothelioma Mesothelioma Capital Medical University Cancer Center China  
Regional hyperthermia and salvage radiotherapy is being tested in patients with biochemically recurrent prostate cancer after radical prostatectomy Prostate Cancer Universitätsklinikum Tübingen  Germany  
Universitätsklinikum Erlangen  Germany  
Charité Universitätsmedizin Germany  
Organ Preservation in Locally Advanced Rectal Cancer by Radiochemotherapy Followed by Consolidation Chemotherapy    Rectal Cancer    University Hospital Erlangen   Germany  
University Hospital Frankfurt  Germany  
University Hospital Tübingen Germany  
University Hospital Würzburg Germany  

HIPEC studies have not been included in this list. Listing facilities with Pyrexar hyperthermia systems is not a statement that those systems are used in the study, only that they exist at the facilities conducting the study.  If you know of a study not included in the list, please let us know, and we would be happy to share it on our website.

Ivy-Lab Inc., established in 2008, specializes in the supply of medical devices in South Korea. The sales group has been very successful in placing the BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia system in hospitals all over the country.

ivy lab CME 2019 1

According to CEO  Michael Cha, "is to make the best cancer care available to everyone. We believe the radiative method of hyperthermia is the most efficient hyperthermia method in fighting cancer as it has been proven many times over. That is why we aim to spread the word of radiative hyperthermia to all South Korean doctors and specialists and create awareness in the country".

ivy lab CME 2019 3

Ivy Lab has been extremely successful in the very competitive South Korean market; this position elevation as a master distributor ensures that we will continue to see dynamic growth in the region.

Wan Fang Hospital

The Taipei Municipal Wan Fang Hospital has advanced its thermal oncology center's capability by adding a superficial hyperthermia treatment room alongside the existing deep regional hyperthermia suite. MWFH, managed by Taipei Medical University, is a 732 beds facility located in Taipei, Taiwan, and the country's first publicly owned and privately operated hospital.

wanfang group doctors

"Out of a broad field of competitors, the cancer treatment team recognized Pyrexar as the manufacturer of the best hyperthermia medical equipment in the world," according to Dennis Lin, CEO of Hualong Biomed.   Wan Fang established its Hyperthermia Treatment Center in 2016, installing a BSD-2000 Deep Regional Hyperthermia system. Their team and patients have been looking forward to combining hyperthermia with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy with the new BSD-500 Superficial Hyperthermia system, knowing that its odd ratio can be more than twice, especially for breast cancer and head and neck cancer patients.

wanfang treatment room

In cooperation with Hematology-Oncology, Radiation Oncology, General Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, and Oral Surgery departments, the Hyperthermia Treatment Center aims to benefit cancer patients, collect more clinical data and experience to promote this integrative cancer therapy. This is an important milestone in cancer treatment.

wanfang group 1

Special recognition to Ray Lauritzen, VP of CustomerCare at Pyrexar Medical.  Ray arrived in Taiwan and was required to immediately enter the two-week quarantine for epidemic prevention before starting installation and training. Ray’s professionalism was formally recognized by the associate dean, professor, physician, nurses, medical physicists, radiation therapists, and case managers of the Cancer Treatment Center. 

Image-Guided Thermal Therapy is shown to be highly consistent over various MRI platforms. Currently, there are five image-guided hyperthermia systems treating patients in Europe. A recent quality assurance validation study was published in the International Journal of Hyperthermia comparing heating patterns of the Sigma Eye-MR applicator among different models of MRI systems. See Full Article - "A multi-institution study: comparison of the heating patterns of five different MR-guided deep hyperthermia systems using an anthropomorphic phantom." Curto et al.

Comparing MRI system with the Pyrexar BSD-2000 3D/MR Sigma Eye Applicator

Using the five sites in comparison, the study found accuracy and continuity between the systems, no matter which imaging system was used. "These three MR systems from GE, Philips, and Siemens represent a growing family of OEM imaging systems proven compatible with the BSD-2000 3D/MR hyperthermia system." Says Jason Ellsworth, VP Engineering. "We continue to evaluate new imaging systems from various manufacturers as requested for new installations, focusing mainly on the 1.5T MR with a 60-70cm bore."

MRI slide progression strip of the heating of a cancer tumor

The BSD-2000 3D/MR Image-Guided Hyperthermia system uses data from MRI taken throughout the hyperthermia treatment to create a pinpoint temperature map.  The data, when compared to the previous scan, is used to form a three-dimensional temperature map. "Essentially, every pixel on the screen represents a discrete changing temperature measurement," says Pyrexar CTO Paul Turner. "This results in tens of thousands of temperature data points in every slice taken."

Radiation Technicians monitoring the process of a Pyrexar hyperthermia cancer treatment

By having a real-time image of the tumor site with a temperature overlay, the operator can ensure that the tumor is within the prescriptive target temperature threshold during the entire treatment. The heat zone's repositioning due to patient discomfort or patient movement can be retargeted with a touch of the screen. 

Related Article: Quantitative, Multi-institutional Evaluation of MR Thermometry Accuracy for Deep-Pelvic MR-Hyperthermia Systems Operating in Multi-vendor MR-systems Using a New Anthropomorphic Phantom, by Sergio Curto, et al

 

Pyrexar Medical was represented at the 83rd China International Medical Equipment Fair (CMEF) in Shanghai, China. The CMEF, established in 1979, has become one of the world’s leading global integrated service platforms for medical device technologies. 

CMEF Shanghai 2020 1

While most large events have been moved to virtual, this event has been the largest in-person exposition in the medical field since the COVID-19 outbreak.

CMEF Shanghai 2020 4

Representing our product line in China is Dailan based distributor and long-time hyperthermia advocate, Orientech, Co., Ltd.

Dario Rodrigues Ph.D. is an assistant professor and thermal oncology physicist at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Dr. Rodrigues's medical specialty is the treatment of cancer using hyperthermia therapy in combination with radiation treatments. Hyperthermia is a thermal therapy technique administered by focusing radio and microwaves to generate a cellular heat response.  As a physicist, he performs adjuvant hyperthermia treatments of pelvic, abdominal, and superficial tumors. He is also responsible for the treatment planning, thermal dosimetry, and quality assurance of the clinical hyperthermia equipment.

comsol 1

Dr. Rodrigues is also a talented researcher. At the recent COMSOL Conference, he presented his computer simulation results of a novel noninvasive brain applicator, which will pave the way to treat brain cancers using focused microwave hyperthermia.

comsol 2a

Treating brain cancers, like glioblastoma multiforme, with hyperthermia and radiotherapy, is not new. Clinical studies, like "Survival benefit of hyperthermia in a prospective randomized trial of brachytherapy boost +/- hyperthermia for glioblastoma multiforme," Sneed, 1998, was an early phase III landmark study demonstrating heightened clinical response and increased survival. But the invasive nature of interstitial hyperthermia requires a specialty that few possess. Creating a non-invasive method of applying and steering microwave hyperthermia may bring some relief to those with non-operable Glioblastomas.

We will continue to follow his progress in pushing forward these advancements in the field of thermal oncology.

For the last 40 years, Pyrexar Medical has developed technologies to allow researchers and clinicians to expand the boundaries of thermal oncology. It is in this pursuit, we continue to develop and improve methods and technologies to lead the world in non-invasive cancer treatments.

Patent US 10,737,106 "Apparatus and Method for Creating Small Focus Deep Hyperthermia in Tissues of the Brain” is another step closer to our ultimate goal of improving the lives of patients with cancer.

patent figure 23

Congratulations to our entire team, and affiliated partners throughout the world, for making the patent achievement possible. Special recognition also goes to inventors Paul Turner, CTO, and Jason Ellsworth, VP of Engineering, for making this technological breakthrough a reality.