Case of a Recurrent Ovarian Cancer Treated Successfully with Hyperthermia Alone

Abstract

Recurrent ovarian cancer poses serious health risks because its treatment remains challenging. Therefore, findings strategies to prolong survival, improving the quality of life (QOL), and alleviate symptoms is critical. In this report, we present the case of a 54-year-old woman with recurrent platinum-sensitive ovarian cancer who refused to undergo chemotherapy and was successfully treated with hyperthermia (HT) alone. The patient underwent radical ovarian cancer surgery and postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy and was followed up regularly. However, 8 years later, carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA125) level was increased, and computed tomography of the abdomen showed diffuse dilatation of the small intestine due to cancerous peritonitis. The patient refused chemotherapy owing to concerns about a decrease in QOL. Therefore, at her request, we initiated HT alone despite its unestablished efficacy. After HT, the patient’s ileus was alleviated, and the CA125 level normalized. These results suggest that HT alone is an effective treatment for recurrent ovarian cancer and contributes to an improved in QOL.