Abstract
The development of hyperthermia therapy to cancer has been highly reputed by its good results. Effectiveness of fever for a malignant tumor was reported firstly by Dr. W. Busch, 1866. He had experienced a patient with high fever by erysipelas, which caused the disappearance of a sarcoma at the: face.
As well known, hyperthermia therapy combined with radiotherapy for cancer has been performed, clinically. It has been well known that living cancer cell and a cancerous lesion are more fragile to higher temperature as: 42 to 45 degrees than the normal. This principle has been applied to hyperthermia therapy, of which energy ultrasonic wave and radio: frequency have been: adopted.
Recent few years, contact irradiation of Nd: YAG laser using ceramics tip is performing increasingly for treating cancer of GI tract, compared to its non-contact irradiation. The tip can be injected into a cancerous lesion of GI tract and increase its temperature up to 42-45 degree at a lower power: level (3-5w) of Nd: YAG laser irradiation for: 15-30 minutes, causing its destruction. This range of the temperature is controlled by control system using a computer. This effect is called laserthermis, laser hyperthermia or local interstitial laser hyperthermia.
Clinically, laserthermis is able to applied more safely than ordinary laser irradiation, not only to radical treatment of early cancer, but also recanalization of obstruction due to the advanced cancer of GI tract. Balloon laserthermia using Nd: YAG laser has been studied for this purpose. The effect of laserthermia is used to be increased in combination therapy with cancer chemotherapy or radiotherapy. There is one of the significances: of laserthermia in the meaning of the endoscopic treatment for residual carcinoma after the other endoscopic treatments.
