Hyperthermia Is Now Included in the NCCN Clinical Practice Guidelines for Breast Cancer Recurrences: An Analysis of Existing Data

Abstract

Background: Hyperthermia has been included in the 2013 National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines as an option for the treatment of breast recurrences. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate the important role of hyperthermia as a therapeutic modality by presenting clinical trials on this subject carried out in the last decades. Materials and Methods: All relevant trials published since 1987 were retrieved from Medline and reviewed. Results: Results show that the addition of hyperthermia to radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for the treatment of breast cancer enhances treatment response and can increase local control. Conclusion: Further studies are required to evaluate potential benefits of hyperthermia in the treatment of other kinds of superficial tumors.