Researchers at Wits University have successfully enhanced the effectiveness of heat therapy to help treat cervical cancer.
With 10,702 new cases diagnosed and 5,870 deaths annually in South Africa, cervical cancer remains the second most common cancer among women in the country.
The research team at Wits University began testing mEHT for cervical cancer treatment in 2014.
Dr. Carrie Anne Minnaar, who led the study at the Wits Donald Gordon Medical Centre University, says “The high incidence and advanced stage of cervical cancer in South Africa, especially in the public healthcare setting, and the limited resources for treatment, compounded by the HIV incidence, means that we desperately need a way to improve the outcomes, without adding additional burden on the system, or additional costs and without increasing the treatment toxicity. mEHT has potential to achieve this, so we developed a trial to test and confirm this.”
They explored the addition of Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia (mEHT) to standard treatment protocols for locally advanced cervical cancer and monitored participants for five years post-treatment.
This decade-long study is groundbreaking as it is the first phase III trial on mEHT, the first hyperthermia trial conducted in Africa, and the first to include HIV-positive participants.
The recently announced results are promising. Dr. Minnaar says; “We have had positive results for certain tumour types in our practice. But the best evidence is the 10-year trial which found it’s possible to increase the five-year disease-free-status of cervical cancer patients by more than 200% when we add this treatment to chemoradiotherapy.
“It also found that adding mEHT to chemotherapy and radiation can cost-effectively improve a patient’s quality of life and chances of achieving a five-year disease-free survival status”
What is modulated electro-hyperthermia?
Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) uses modulated radiofrequency waves to create an electromagnetic field that heats tumours to between 39 and 41 degrees Celsius without affecting healthy tissue.
This heat makes the tumour more susceptible to radiation and, in some cases, chemotherapy, while also slowing the cancer’s ability to repair itself. Additionally, mEHT can trigger an immune response to the cancer, enhancing the overall impact of the treatment.
Unlike traditional hyperthermia, mEHT selectively targets the tumour, making it a more affordable and a simpler option to deliver. This allows for the integration of hyperthermia into standard cancer treatments, increasing their effectiveness without adding significant side effects.
Who are the ideal candidates for the treatment?
Regarding the best candidates for the treatment, Dr Minnaar goes on to say; “The treatment works best in locally advanced disease, or disease from stage IIB onwards. Early stages of disease are well managed with standard treatments. It is also better if the mEHT is combined with radiation.
The procedure for mEHT
Dr Minnaar explains the procedure for the treatment process in conjunction with chemotherapy and radiation.
“The treatment is timed to align with the radiation. The patient will arrive five minutes before the treatment time, and will be asked to remove all jewellery, metal, and electronics, as well as their shoes. They will lie on the bed and expose only the region that is being treated. All other clothes remain on.
“An adjustable electrode with a water bolus will then be placed over the treatment area in direct contact with the skin and then the treatment will be started. During the treatment, which usually lasts an hour, the patient will feel warmth where the bolus has been placed, however the warmth should never feel uncomfortable, it should feel like the number 1 setting on an electric heat blanket”.
Most people get up straight away. Occasionally patients may feel a little lightheaded or drowsy and if the patient has had treatment to the brain, there may be a headache for a short period. After having the mEHT treatment, the patient goes straight to the radiation department for radiation.
Side effects and risks associated with mEHT heat therapy
In comparison to all the other treatments that cancer patients need to go through, this is really a very safe treatment, and side effects are not common. In less than 2% of people a small burn may develop on the skin, about 1cm in diameter.
In people with a thick adipose layer there is a 10% chance of a burn in the fatty tissue, manifesting as a round bump or nodule in the fatty tissue that is sensitive to touch.
The potential impact on the treatment of cervical cancer
While access to mEHT technology and trained professionals is still emerging in South Africa, the release of these results is expected to accelerate its adoption.
This advancement is particularly important given the inequity in access to screening and treatment in South Africa. By incorporating mEHT into the national healthcare system, there is potential to improve outcomes for many women facing cervical cancer.
IOL Lifestyle