A combined treatment of interferon-alpha, 8 MHz radiofrequency hyperthermia and/or irradiation in a patient with advanced renal cancer

A combined treatment of alpha interferon (INF), 8 MHz radiofrequency (RF) hyperthermia using Thermotron-RF Model 8 and/or irradiation was performed on a patient with advanced renal cancer. The patient was a 52-year-old male, who had received arterial embolization with a gelatin sponge and 60 mg of adriamycin for the right renal tumor in January, 1985. He was referred to our clinic in April, 1985. Computed tomography showed a right renal tumor, 120 x 105 x 80 mm. Histological examination revealed clear cell carcinoma of the right kidney. The tumor was unresectable because of the huge tumor size, invasion into the right lobe of the liver, multiple pulmonary metastases and severe dysproteinemia. From the beginning of May, 1985, administration of 3 x 10(6) units interferon-alpha (INF) daily and radiofrequency (RF)hyperthermia for one hour twice a week were started. By June 11, 1985, 10 sessions of RF-hyperthermia were performed. Thereafter, hyperthermia for the renal tumor was maintained once a week until June, 1986. From the middle of June, 1985, a gradual improvement of dysproteinemia and appetite loss, and a decrease of the right renal tumor size as well as disappearance of febrile attacks were attained. In November, 1985, mediastinal lymph node swelling developed. A combined therapy of RF-hyperthermia twice a week and irradiation with 2.0 Gy daily 5 times a week was started. A total of 14 sessions of RF-hyperthermia and 30 Gy of irradiation were delivered until January, 1986. Intratumoral temperature of the renal tumor reached 44.0 degrees C during the heating.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)