Laserthermia for head and neck region

Abstract

Hyperthermia has been applied to the treatment of human cancer. The heat of more than 42 degree centigrade selectively kills S-phase cells and hypoxic malignant cells. Therefore the hyperthermia for malignant tumor synergistically works with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Hyperthermia itself has neither painful treatment nor side effect comparing with other cancer treatments. There are many kinds of energy resources for hyperthermia; 1) hot water, 2) electromagnetic energy like RF and microwave, 3) sonic energy, 4) infrared light, and 5) laser energy have been studied and used. The electromagnetic energy is most effective to relatively deeper tumors like esophageal cancer. On the other hand the Nd: YAG laser, which can be transmitted by a flexible optical fiber, is the easiest and the most useful instrument to heat the tumors that locate on the surface of head and neck regions. First, experimental and clinical studies of the interstitial localized hyperthermia using the contact laser probe, namely laserthermia is referred. Secondarily, the clinical application of balloon laserthermia to the paranasal sinus is demonstrated. This new method is that the Nd:YAG laser beam is scattered to all angles through the saline in the balloon and the superficial tumor contacted with balloon surface are easily heated.