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History of hyperthermia and electro-medicine. (abstract of poster)

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Abstract

Introduction: Hyperthermia was one of the very first treatments in human medicine, having 5 thousand years history. Of course it had a sacral meaning at the beginning, and Hippocrates was convinced about its overall efficacy, telling when hyperthermia (fire) does not help, than the disease has to be declared as incurable. Our objective is to follow the development of the heat-therapies by selection important moment from its history.
Oncothermia Journal 1:44-44
(2010)
History of hyperthermia and electro-medicine
Prof. Dr. Seung Cheol Kim1, Prof. Dr. Woong Ju1, Prof. Dr.
Andras
Szasz
2,3
(1) Department of Obstetrics & Gyneocology, College of Medicine Ewha Womans University,
Mok-Dong Hospital, Seoul Korea (South)
(2) Department of Biotechnics, Faculty of Engineering, St. Istvan University, Budapest, Hungary
(3) Oncotherm Group, Germany
Oncothermia Journal, November 2010
History of
hyperthermia
and
el
e
ct
r
o
-
med
i
c
i
ne
Prof. Dr. Seung Cheol Kim1, Prof. Dr. Woong Ju1, Prof. Dr. Andras Szasz2,3
(1) Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology, College of Medicine Ewha Womans University, Mok-Dong Hospital, Seoul Korea (South)
(2) Department of Biotechnics, Faculty of Engineering, St. Istvan University, Budapest, Hungary
(3) Oncotherm Group, Germany
Introduction: Hyperthermia was one of the very first treatments in human medicine, having 5 thousand years
history. Of course it had a sacral meaning at the beginning, and Hippocrates was convinced about its overall
efficacy, telling when hyperthermia (fire) does not help, than the disease has to be declared as incurable. Our
objective is to follow the development of the heat-therapies by selection important moment from its history.
Discussion: Heat was applied to locally affected parts of the body and to its entirety by means of hot water, steam,
sand, and mud baths. Natural hot air caverns connected with volcanic sources. The first known oncotherapy by
heat was made by an Egyptian priest/physician Imhotep in the 5th century BC. He had infected tumors before
surgically removing them, which was in fact the very first immune approach as well.
By the development of the medical knowledge, more and more heat applications were applied in practice.
Hippocrates told later: Give me the power to produce fever and I will cure all diseases”. His followers in the line
were Aurelius Cornelius Clesus and Rufus of Ephesus, who believed on the curative effect of fever. The progress
was continuing in the middle ages, when the ablation techniques (burn out the tumor) and hot-bathes were in
practice, while step-by step the temperature measurement was worked out. The first clinical thermometer was
introduced only late: Sir Clifford Allbutt did it in 1868. This was the start of the modern history of heat-therapies,
which was characterized with such famous names like Virchow, Busch, Warren, Coley and the Nobel-laureate
Wagner-Jauregg. The technical revolution of the heat therapies was when the modern microwave heating was
developed, and applied in medicine. This temperature based focused deep heating became one of the line (focused
loco-regional heating), while the other was the whole body heating with various methods. In local heating the
paradigm is to reach the appropriate temperature locally. The main representatives of this techniques are the
Brucker (French) BSD-Medical (USA), Thermotron (Japan), Alba (Italian).
Other line of the development was parallel: the electromagnetic treatments in cure of cancer. The first famous
name was D’Arsonval. His method had fantastic popularity at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Numerous
devices were developed and applied widely, but the expected breakthrough result was missing. Entirely new line
was started with Professors Rudolf Pekar, Bjorn Nordenstrom and Xin You Ling. They used the galvanic electric
current to treat cancer. Their method had delivered remarkable results.
Based on the best knowledge of the heat- and electro-therapies, combine them with the most modern fractal
physiology Oncotherm was established in 1988. This had opened a new paradigm in the field. Instead of the
necrosis, the immuno-specific answers were forced supporting the natural protective and defending mechanisms
of the human body. A large number of various devices were developed, and presently working worldwide.
Conclusion: Oncothermia is a direct follower of the ancient heat-therapies combined with the modern
bioelectromagnetic and fractal physiologic knowledge. This new paradigm is feasible to reach new heights in the
historic war against cancer.
... In addition, this technique enhances the immune-specific response, which promotes the supporting natural, protective, and defending mechanisms of the human body. [95] Thus, mEHT is a promising therapy that may be used during all phases of cancer treatment in combination with other oncology treatments. ...
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Full-text available
According to the World Health Organization, the prevalence of cancer has increased worldwide. Oncological hyperthermia is a group of methods that overheat the malignant tissues locally or systematically. Nevertheless, hyperthermia is not widely accepted, primarily because of the lack of selectivity for cancer cells and because the temperature-triggered higher blood flow increases the nutrient supply to the tumor, raising the risk of metastases. These problems with classical hyperthermia led to the development of modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT). The biophysical differences of the cancer cells and their healthy hosts allow for selective energy absorption on the membrane rafts of the plasma membrane of the tumor cells, triggering immunogenic cell death. Currently, this method is used in only 34 countries. The effectiveness of conventional oncotherapies increases when it is applied in combination with mEHT. In silico, in vitro, and in vivo preclinical research studies have all shown the extraordinary ability of mEHT to kill malignant cells. Clinical applications have improved the quality of life and the survival of patients. For these reasons, many other research studies are presently in progress worldwide. Thus, the objective of this review is to highlight the capabilities and advantages of mEHT and provide new hopes for cancer patients worldwide.
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