"Heating Up" Cancer

[Barbara2]

This article recently appeared in our local newspaper. The topic suggests that scientific findings indicate that zapping tumors with heat benefits some patients.

I remember reading a few years ago about an experimental treatment that women jokingly referred to as "Boobie Ja ." I don't recall any of the details such as amount of time or temperatures that were used.

I've wondered if laying on the heating pad would have any impact on cancer cells that may be nearby.

Here's the article:
www.democratherald.com/articles/2005/09/27/news/nation/nat07.txt

[Barbara2]

Ooops. That was supposed to be "Boobie Jacuzzi."

Hi there, with my last chemo treatment Taxol, which was for enlarged lymph glands in the neck, I had a heat pad on the area during the Taxol infusion. It seems that the heat expands the blood vessels and the chemo drug goes directly there first giving it a big hit, those enlarged glands went, so as far as I am concerned it works. My onc was in total agreement, but it never seems to go any further, I suggested that he have an electric blanket on the chairs or the bed so as the lungs, liver and other organs gain by the heating process, I have been lucky and had no organ involvement, but if I were I would be taking my own electric blanket along, at least it can be regulated whereas a heat pad or hot water bottle have to be reheated all the time and the electric blanket constant. There is probably some insurance liability issue and that is why. Hope this helps.

Love & Hugs Lyn

[Lolly]

It really is an interesting theory, and I also tried a heating pad on my neck nodes during my last txs, they did disappear, but now they're back so I'll try the heating pad again while I'm getting my chemo. It can't hurt as long as one's careful not to burn the area, as Lyn points out. I'll get the nurses opinion on this, and also ask what my onc thinks.

<3,
Lolly

[Esther]

I have seen similar suggestions in the past, and that was one of the main reasons we installed a jacuzzi in our home. I try to use it 3 times a week. I don't know if raising my body temperature helps me to be cancer free, but sitting in the hot swirling water talking to my husband at the end of the day sure does put a nice end to my day.

Dear Barbera:

The idea of heating tumors to kill them is not new. My wife received radio frequency ablation of tumors in her liver. This is a procedure where a probe is driven through the tumor and then heated to a high temperature with radio frequency waves. It literally "cooks" the tumor in place. In my wife's case this procedure was done 2and 1/2 years ago and her liver remains clean. The procedure has benefits over surgery because research has shown that when a tumor is excised surgically from a liver that growth hormones are released and often the tumor will return. This does not happen with ablation.

At the University of Pgh Medical Center they are currently experimenting with a way of using radio frequency waives to raise body temperature to a point that would kill all cancer cells in your body. This procedure was invented by a cancer patient familiar radio frequency waives. This fellow in conjunction with Dr. Geller at UPMC has developed three patented devices for this procedure and at this point it is in animal testing by Dr. Geller at UPMC. Funding for the project has been provided by the NCI.

Hope this would sound encouraging

Brian

[StephN]

Well I never put this together before reading this post. I recall Lyn using some local heat for her gland some time back, but it did not ring any chimes.

I am always looking for reasons why I happen to be so lucky to have beat my very aggressive liver mets and so many other women are not here any more who took the same drugs as I.
A heating pad is something I have used for years for an irrritated intercostal nerve in my right side. It is from a seat belt injury when I was run into by another car. I also use it to warm up my side of the bed if my hubby is not there first.
So the idea that I unwittingly heated the very place that the chemo drugs needed to go peaks my interest. In one month I had a very big response and my med onc and his staff were almost puzzled by how well I was doing. I was in a cllinical trial and there are only THREE of us left in remission out of 20. What did I do that the others did not? The question had been asked when I was declared NED and went off the trial drugs.
They wanted to know how I ate, what supplements I took, etc. I never mentioned the heating pad!

[cmn]

I use an infrared sauna. Because I have skin mets I can only do low tempurature saunas. I have read that the chemo/heat combo is particularly effective. I think that applying heat during a drip is a brilliant idea. Regards, Carol

[Esther]

Carol, can you share more about your infrared sauna use? That is something I have been thinking about for a while now. I have also heard that the infrared heat is particularly good to use to fight the cancer cells.

Did you purchase your own?

[cmn]

I use a poplar sauna. Feel free to contact me for for further details and a discount I can pass on to you. Regards, Carol

Hi Barbara,

Yes, I think "heating it up" is a very smart idea where her-2 mediated cancers are concerned...that is why I am so "fond" of the "Herceptin fever" I usually get after each infusion (still 6 years of Herceptin infusions later..smile) and mainly recommend that one NOT take any Tylenol to prevent the fevers for those reasons...in the early years of my cancer mets, I would swear that the fever I got after the Herceptin was more effective than the Herceptin...now, years later, I have learned that that was probably not quite the case as Herceptin has amazing properties.

Anyway, I have also been testing those new-age infared JADE stone heated massage beds (google CERAGEM or LIVELONG BIONIC BED) since January, 2004 with very positive results... I don't get to use the bed as often as I would like (having bought one and then, gave it away to one of my "patients" who needed it more who lives in a different city..hee hee), but I do use it when I can. When my bone mets gets painful...I usually coat the area of my chest and sternum with lots of Castor Oil, apply the cotton flannel and then a HOT water Bottle and go to sleep..the only thing is you have to watch out for the LOW level electromagnetic radiation from heating pads, blankets and other electronic devices...and I wouldn't over do that...just in case..but it certainly couldn't hurt for occasion use, I would think..but the hot water bottle may be safer. Also, I still recommend the AGE-old remedy of neck out total body immersion in hot epsom salt or mineral water at least once a week and more frequently if the patient is in a lot of pain or lacks magnesium. It is the quickest way to replace magnesium and other minerals that certain chemos, especially in the cisplatin carboplatin family, take away...fyi.

Take care,

Gina

[eric]

Brian, sounds like exciting stuff. Thanks for sharing it. Eric