[:en]
Patient receiving local hyperthermia for liver cancer.
Cancer cells have an abnormal metabolism. Normal cells found throughout the body produce carbon dioxide as a waste product. In contrast, malignant cells produce lactic acid. When the cancer cells within a tumor are heated to 42 C (107.6 F), the production of lactic acid increases rapidly and the cells become highly acidic (pH goes down).
As metabolism speeds up within the tumor cells, they essentially self-destruct and drown in the lactic acid they produce. Healthy tissue surrounding the cancer cells are unaffected by the localized heat used in the treatment. The same biological dynamics occurs to a reduced degree during normal fevers 101.3° F (38.3° C) in which cancers become more and more under stress and produce more lactic acid
Cancer cells are also able to hide (cloak) from the immune system thereby avoiding detection. Fever-range, total-body hyperthermia and local hyperthermia both disrupt this cloaking mechanism. Whether is is local or total-body hyperthermia, each degree increase in temperature, causes cancer cells to undergo greater stress until the lactic acid production has increased to such a degree that the cancer cell is threatened with suffocation. The cancer cells will try to fight off their impending death by putting all their energy into surviving, thus dropping their escape mechanisms. Once a cancer cells drop their escape mechanisms, they are more easily detected by dendritic cells which now can better ”see” the “naked” or uncloaked cancer cells. As a result, the dendritic cells are better able to obtain an image of the cancer cells’ “ID”—its profile or antigen.
The electro-hyperthermia equipment used for localized hyperthermia causes no risk of burns and can be focused exclusively on any area of the body. Unlike total-body hyperthermia, with this localized technique we can selectively heat tumor cells.This enables us to provide interventions for areas of the body that would normally be difficult to treat such as the lungs, bone, and the head. The fact that hyperthermia can be efficacious in treating brain tumors was borne out by a recent Phase III study for patients with brain lesions, in which hyperthermia proved to support significantly better results in terms of illness-free time and survival when compared with radiation and/or medication.
Robert Gorter, MD, PhD, long term cancer survivor, founder and director, Medical Center Cologne
Local hyperthermia is a highly effective means of destroying cancer cells without causing toxicity, particularly when used in conjunction with other immune supportive therapies such as vitamin C infusions, thymus peptides and mistletoe extract. In addition, most patients are provided with dendritic cell vaccinations since the heating process makes cancer cells more vulnerable for destruction by the immune system.
The efficacy of dendritic cell vaccinations is enhanced by simple injection them during or right after a fever period. At the Medical Center Cologne, even patients with primary or secondary brain tumors or metastases of the breast or lung, are successfully treated in this way without any side effects. Statistically, the research shows that about 72% of all patients withGlioblastoma multiforme Stage IV die within the first year after diagnosis only 1% survive for three years.
At the Medical Center Cologne, 48% of all patients with stage IV Glioblastoma multiforme go into complete and persistent remission, following a protocol of at least 3 dendritic cell vaccinations and 24 sessions of local hyperthermia.The electro-hyperthermia equipment used in this protocol was developed by the German company Celsius 42+.
As mentioned, approximately 2,800 articles have been published to date on “regional” or “local” hyperthermia. Among the 50 most recent studies on local hyperthermia, the majority (32 of the studies) involved the use of hyperthermia with chemotherapy. The majority of the other studies evaluated local hyperthermia in combination with surgery and with radiation. The others involved some form of immunotherapy provided in combination with the local hyperthermia treatments (primarily TNF-alpha—tumor necrosis factor-alpha).
Researchers have documented that conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, used in combination with local hyperthermia, clearly work more effectively with less side effects. Only a handful of large clinical trials have focused on local hyperthermia as a stand-alone treatment, perhaps due to the lack of economic incentives.
We predict that in the future, patients who desire a non-toxic approach to cancer will be treated with localized hyperthermia, paired with some form of immunotherapy such as those offered at the Medical Center Cologne.
Overgaard, J. (2006). Effect of hyperthermia on malignant cells in vivo: A review and a hypothesis. Cancer, 39(6), 2637-2646.
Twenty years ago, Teun van Vliet was twice an indoor world champion cyclist and in 1988 wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in 2006 an inoperable recurrence of the tumor was detected. Teun had another round of brain surgery (“debulking”) and also received radiation treatment. This caused him to lose his power of speech, and to some degree he also lost memory and coordination.Within conventional oncology, nothing could be done for him. He was told that he had a year left to live at the most. Teun and his girlfriend decided to seek a second opinion and they went to Cologne to consult with Dr. Gorter, who advised him to do local hyperthermia in combination with immune therapy.
Teun van Vliet’s remarkable recovery from end-stage primary brain cancer has been written up in the following book: Bindels, G. (2010). Teun van Vliet-Drank, Vrouwen, de Koers en de Dood. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands: Elikser B.V.
Krebszellen können sich auch vor dem Immunsystem verstecken und so verhindern, dass sie entdeckt werden, sich also „tarnen“. Sowohl die Ganzkörperfiebertherapie als auch lokalisierte Hyperthermie unterbinden diesen Tarnmechanismus. Gleichgültig, ob nun lokale Hyperthermie oder Ganzkörperhyperthermie im Fieberbereich zur Anwendung kommt, gilt: Jedes erhöhte Grad Celsius bedeutet für die Krebszellen ein Mehr an Stress, bis zu dem Punkt, an dem die Milchsäureproduktion so hoch ist, dass die Zellen förmlich an ihr ersticken. Die Krebszellen reagieren auf diese Art der Bedrohung, indem sie ihre gesamte Energie in Überlebensmechanismen setzen und ihre Tarnungsmechanismen ausschalten. Wenn diese ausgeschaltet sind, können sie leichter von den dendritischen Zellen aufgespürt werden, denn diese können die „nackten“ bzw. ungetarnten Krebszellen besser „sehen“. Das hat zur Folge, dass die dendritischen Zellen die Krebszellen besser identifizieren können, also „wissen“, mit welcher Art von Zelle sie es zu tun haben und welches Antigen für ihre Bekämpfung zum Einsatz kommen muss. Dr. Robert Gorter erklärt hierzu:Die elektronische Ausstattung für die Erzeugung einer lokalisier- ten Hyperthermie ist so aufgebaut, dass kein Risiko besteht, dass der Patient sich verbrennt. Sie kann auf jeden Bereich des Körpers angewendet werden. Im Gegensatz zur Ganzkörperhyperthermie im Fieberbereich können mit dieser lokalisierten Methode einzelne Tumorzellen erwärmt werden. So können wir Eingriffe an Körperteilen vornehmen, die sonst nur schwer zu erreichen sind, wie die Lungen, die Knochen oder der Kopf. Die Erkenntnis, dass Hyperthermie eine wirksame Methode bei der Behandlung von Gehirntumoren sein kann, entstand kürzlich bei einer Phase-III-Studie über Patienten mit Gehirnläsionen, bei der dank Hyperthermie deutlich bessere Ergebnisse hinsichtlich der krankheitsfreien Zeit und der Überlebensrate erzielt werden konnten als durch Bestrahlung und/oder medikamentöse Behandlungen
Lokalisierte Hyperthermie ist ein hoch effektives, ungiftiges Mittel zur Vernichtung von Krebszellen, insbesondere wenn es in Verbindung mit anderen immunfördernden Therapien wie Vitamin-C-Infusionen, Thymuspeptiden und Mistelzweigextrakten angewendet wird. Dazu erhalten die Patienten Impfungen mit dendritischen Zellen, da das Immunsystem durch den Erwärmungsprozess die Krebszellen leichter angreifen und bekämpfen kann. Die Wirkung der Impfung mit dendritischen Zellen wird verstärkt, wenn sie während oder direkt nach einer Fieberphase erfolgt. Beim Medical Center Cologne werden sogar Patienten mit Erst- und Zweitgehirntumoren oder Metastasen in Brust oder Lunge mit dieser Methode erfolgreich behandelt, ohne dass irgendwelche Nebenwirkungen auftreten. Der Statistik zufolge sterben 72 Prozent aller Patienten im IV. Stadium mit Glioblastoma multiforme innerhalb des ersten Jahres nach der Diagnose und nur 1 Prozent überlebt die nächsten drei Jahre. Am Medical Center Cologne erreichen 48 Prozent aller Patienten im IV. Stadium mit Glioblastoma multiforme eine vollständige und dauerhafte Remission nach einem Behandlungsplan mit mindestens drei Impfungen mit dendritischen Zellen und 24 Sitzungen mit lokaler Hyperthermie.
Wie bereits erwähnt gibt es aktuell ungefähr 2.800 veröffentlichte Artikel zum Thema regionaler bzw. lokalisierter Hyperthermie. Von den 50 neuesten Studien zu lokalisierter Hyperthermie konzentrieren sich die meisten (32 Studien) auf die Anwendung von Hyperthermie in Kombination mit Chemotherapie. Die Mehrheit der anderen Studi- en beschäftigte sich mit lokalisierter Hyperthermie in Verbindung mit Operationen und Bestrahlung. Die restlichen Studien haben Formen der Immuntherapie als Ergänzung zu lokaler Hyperthermie zum Gegenstand (vorrangig Tumor-Nekrose-Faktor alpha – TNF-alpha). Die Forschungsstudien ergaben, dass konventionelle Behandlungen (z.B. Chemotherapie und Bestrahlung) deutlich bessere Erfolge erzielen und mit weniger Nebeneffekten verbunden sind, wenn sie in Verbindung mit lokalisierter Hyperthermie angewendet werden. Ein paar wenige Studien richten ihr Augenmerk auf lokalisierte Hyperthermie als eigenständige Behandlung, vielleicht sind es nur so wenige mangels wirtschaftlichen Anreizes. Wahrscheinlich werden in der Zukunft Patienten, die eine ungiftige Krebsbehandlungsmethode wünschen, mit lokalisierter Hyperthermie behandelt werden, in Kom- bination mit einer Form von Immuntherapie, so wie dies heute schon am Medical Center Cologne angeboten wird. Die Impfung mit dendritischen Zellen wird dabei eine zentrale Rolle spielen.
Overgaard, J. (2006). Effect of hyperthermia on malignant cells in vivo: A review and a hypothesis. Cancer, 39(6), 2637-2646.
Twenty years ago, Teun van Vliet was twice an indoor world champion cyclist and in 1988 wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in 2006 an inoperable recurrence of the tumor was detected. Teun had another round of brain surgery (“debulking”) and also received radiation treatment. This caused him to lose his power of speech, and to some degree he also lost memory and coordination.Within conventional oncology, nothing could be done for him. He was told that he had a year left to live at the most. Teun and his girlfriend decided to seek a second opinion and they went to Cologne to consult with Dr. Gorter, who advised him to do local hyperthermia in combination with immune therapy.
Teun van Vliet’s remarkable recovery from end-stage primary brain cancer has been written up in the following book: Bindels, G. (2010). Teun van Vliet-Drank, Vrouwen, de Koers en de Dood. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands: Elikser B.V.
Voorbeeld van een patiënte die lokale hyperthermie krijgt aangeboden tegen levermetastasen.
Kankercellen zijn ook in staat zich voor het immuunsysteem te verbergen (zich te vermommen) om aan opsporing te ontkomen. Algehele hyperthermie en gelokaliseerde hyperthermie ontregelen beide dit vermommingsmechanisme. Of het nu gelokaliseerde hyperthermie of hyperthermie van het gehele lichaam op koortsniveau is, iedere graad verhoging van de temperatuur zorgt ervoor dat kankercellen onder grotere stress komen te staan, tot de melkzuurproductie zo hoog is geworden dat de kankercel erin dreigt te verstikken. De kankercellen proberen hun naderende dood af te wenden door al hun energie op het overleven te richten, waarbij ze hun ontsnappings-mechanismen laten varen. Op het moment dat de kankercellen hun ontsnappingsmechanismen laten varen, kunnen ze gemakkelijker worden opgespoord door dendritische cellen, die nu de ‘naakte’ of onverhulde kankercellen beter kunnen ‘zien’. Het gevolg hiervan is dat de dendritische cellen beter in staat zijn om een beeld te vormen van de vingerafdruk van de kankercellen – hun profiel of antigeen. Zoals Robert Gorter opmerkt: De apparatuur voor elektrohyperthermie die bij gelokaliseerde hyperthermie wordt gebruikt levert geen risicoop brandwonden op en kan zeer nauwkeurig op een gebied van het lichaam worden gericht. Anders dan bij de algehele hyperthermie op koortsniveau kunnen we bij deze gelokaliseerde techniek de tumorcellen selectief verwarmen. Dit stelt ons in staat om ingrepen te verrichten in gebieden van het lichaam die normaal gesproken moeilijk te behandelen zijn, zoals de longen, de botten en het hoofd. Het gegeven dat hyperthermie doeltreffend kan zijn bij de behandeling van hersentumoren is recentelijk bevestigd door een fase III-onderzoek bij patiënten met hersenletsel, waaruit bleek dat hyperthermie in vergelijking met radiotherapie en medicamenten substantieel betere resultaten opleverde wat ziektevrije tijd en overlevingskans betrof. Gelokaliseerde hyperthermie is een uiterst effectief middel om kankercellen te vernietigen zonder toxiciteit te veroorzaken, vooral wanneer deze gebruikt wordt in combinatie met andere immuunondersteunende therapieën zoals infusies met vitamine C, thymuspeptiden en maretakextract. Bovendien krijgen de meeste patiënten injecties met dendritische cellen omdat het verwarmingsproces kankercellen kwetsbaarder maakt voor vernietiging door het immuunsysteem. De werkzaamheid van de vaccinaties met dendritische cellen wordt versterkt door ze eenvoudig tijdens of direct na een koortsperiode te injecteren. In het Medical Center Cologne worden zelfs patiënten met primaire of secundaire hersentumoren of metastasen in borsten of longen op deze manier met succes behandeld, zonder enige bijwerkingen. Uit onderzoek blijkt dat ongeveer 72 procent van alle patiënten met glioblastoma multiforme in fase IV binnen het eerste jaar na de diagnose overlijdt en dat slechts 1 procent nog drie jaar overleeft. In het Medical Center Cologne treedt bij 48 procent van alle patiënten met glioblastoma multiforme in fase IV volledige en langdurige remissie op, na een behandeling met ten minste drie vaccinaties met dendritische cellen en 24 sessies lokale hyperthermie.
Zoals gezegd zijn er tot op heden bij benadering 2800 artikelen gepubliceerd over plaatselijke of gelokaliseerde hyperthermie. Van de vijftig recentste onderzoeken naar gelokaliseerde hyperthermie had het merendeel (32) betrekking op het gebruik van hyperthermie gecombineerd met chemotherapie.
Het grootste deel van de andere onderzoeken evalueert gelokaliseerde hyperthermie in combinatie met operatieve ingrepen en radiotherapie. De overige onderzoeken betroffen een vorm van immunotherapie in combinatie met plaatselijke hyperthermiebehandelingen (voornamelijk tumornecrosefactor (TNF-)alfa).
Onderzoekers hebben vastgesteld dat conventionele behandelingen (bijv. chemo- en radiotherapie) in combinatie met gelokaliseerde hyperthermie duidelijk effectiever zijn en minder bijwerkingen vertonen dan wanneer ze op zichzelf worden gebruikt. Slechts een handvol klinische tests is gericht op gelokaliseerde hyperthermie als een op zichzelf staande behandelvorm, misschien door een gebrek aan economische stimulansen.
Wij voorspellen dat patiënten die een niet-toxische aanpak van kanker wensen in de toekomst met gelokaliseerde hyperthermie zullen worden behandeld, gekoppeld aan een vorm van immunotherapie zoals die in het Medical Center Cologne wordt aangeboden.
Overgaard, J. (2006). Effect of hyperthermia on malignant cells in vivo: A review and a hypothesis. Cancer, 39(6), 2637-2646.
Twenty years ago, Teun van Vliet was twice an indoor world champion cyclist and in 1988 wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in 2006 an inoperable recurrence of the tumor was detected. Teun had another round of brain surgery (“debulking”) and also received radiation treatment. This caused him to lose his power of speech, and to some degree he also lost memory and coordination.Within conventional oncology, nothing could be done for him. He was told that he had a year left to live at the most. Teun and his girlfriend decided to seek a second opinion and they went to Cologne to consult with Dr. Gorter, who advised him to do local hyperthermia in combination with immune therapy.
Teun van Vliet’s remarkable recovery from end-stage primary brain cancer has been written up in the following book: Bindels, G. (2010). Teun van Vliet-Drank, Vrouwen, de Koers en de Dood. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands: Elikser B.V.
Kanser hücresinin aynı zamanda bağışıklık sisteminden saklanmak (kendilerini perdelemek), dolayısıyla da yakalanmaktan kurtulmak gibi bir becerisi de vardır. Tüm-beden ateş terapisi ve lokal hipertermi, bu perdeleme mekanizmasını engeller. Ister lokal, isterse de ateş-aralığı, tüm-beden hipertermisi kullanılıyor olsun, sıcaklıktaki her bir derecelik artış, laktik asit üretimi kanser hücresi boğulma tehdidiyle karşı karşıya gelecek derecede artana kadar, kanser hücrelerinin daha büyük bir gerilim altına girmesine yol açar. Kanser hücreleri tüm enerjilerini ortaya koyarak kendilerini bekleyen ölümle savaşmayı ve hayatta kalmayı deneyecekler, dolayısıyla da kaçıp kurtulma mekanizmalarını indireceklerdir. Kanser hücreleri kaçış mekanizmalarını indirdiklerinde, “çıplak” ya da perdelenmemiş kanser hücrelerini artık çok daha kolay “gören” dendritik hücreler tarafından rahatça saptanırlar. Sonuç olarak, dendritik hücreler kanser hücrelerinin kimliklerini – profillerini ya da antijenlerini – çok daha iyi ele geçirebilirler.
Robert Gorter’in ifadesiyle, Lokal hipertermi için kullanılan elektro-hipertermi cihazı hiç bir yanık riski içermez. Ve vücudun tek bir bölgesine odaklanabilir. Ateş-aralığı, tüm-beden hipertermisinden farklı olarak, bu local teknikle tümör hücrelerini seçip ısıtabiliriz. Bu da bizim akciğerler, kemikler ve kafa gibi normalde tedavisi zor olan vücut bölgelerine müdahale etmemize olanak tanır. Hiperterminin beyin tümörlerini tedavi etmekte tesirli olabileceği görüşü, beyin lezyonları olan hastalar üzerinde yapılan yakın tarihli Aşama III araştırmalarıyla doğrulanmıştır. Bu araştırmalarda hiperterminin, radyasyon ve/veya ilaç tedavisiyle kıyaslandığında, hastalıktan uzak geçirilen zaman dilimi ve hayatta kalma açısından oldukça iyi sonuçlar elde ettiği ispatlanmıştır.
Lokal hipertermi, özellikle vitamin C alımları, timus peptitleri ve ökseotu özü gibi diğer bir takım bağışıklık destekleyici terapilerle birlikte kullanıldığında, toksikliğe sebep olmaksızın kanser hücrelerini yok eden çok etkin bir araçtır . Buna ek olarak çoğu hastaya, ısıtma süreci kanser hücrelerini bağışıklık sistemi tarafından yok edilmeye karşı çok daha savunmasız bir hale soktuğu için, dendritik hücre enjeksiyonları uygulanır. Dendritik hücre aşılamalarının etkinliği, bunların ateş sırasında ya da ateşin hemen ardından uygulanmasıyla güçlendirilir. Medical Center Cologne’nda ilk ve ikincil beyin tümörleri olan ya da meme veya akciğer metastazı yaşayan hastalar bile, herhangi bir yan etki olmaksızın bu şekilde başarıyla tedavi edilmektedirler. Istatistiksel olarak, yapılan araştırmalar Aşama IV glioblastoma multiforme hastalarının yaklaşık yüzde 72’sinin tanıyı takip eden ilk yıl içerisinde öldüklerini, sadece yüzde 1’inin üç yıl yaşadığını göstermektedir. Medical Center Cologne’nda, Aşama IV glioblastoma multiforme hastalarının yüzde 48’i, en az üç dendritik hücre aşılaması ve yirmi dört lokal hipertermi seansının ardından, tam ve persistant iyileşmeye uğramıişlardır.
Daha önce de bahsedildiği üzere, bugüne kadar bölgesel ya da lokal hipertermi hakkında yaklaşık 2,800 makale yayınlanmıştır. Lokal hipertermiye dair yapılan en yakın tarihli elli araştırma arasından, büyük çoğunluğu (otuz ikisi) hiperterminin kemoterapiyle birlikte kullanımını içermektedir.
Diğer incelemelerin büyük kısmı da lokal hipertermiyi ameliyat ve radyasyonla birlikte değerlendirmektedir. Geriye kalanlar lokal hipertermi tedavileriyle (temelde tümör nekroz faktörü-alfa değerleri – TNF-alfa) birlikte verilen bir takım immünoterapi türünü kapsar.
Araştırmacılar bu geleneksel tedavilerin (örn. kemoterapi ve radyasyonun) lokal hipertermiyle bir arada kullanıldığında, açıkça çok daha etkin çalıştığını ve tek başına kullanıldığı zamankinden çok daha az yan etki bıraktığını belgelemektedir. Sadece bir elin parmaklarını geçmeyecek sayıdaki büyük klinik deney, belki de sırf ekonomik sebeplerden dolayı, lokal hiperterminin tek başına tedavi olarak kullanıldığı durumlara odaklanmış durumdadır.
Gelecekte, kansere dair toksik olmayan bir yaklaşım arzulayan hastaların, Medical Center Cologne’nda verilenler benzeri bir immünoterapi türü eşliğinde , lokal hipertermiyle tedavi edileceklerini tahmin ediyoruz.
Overgaard, J. (2006). Effect of hyperthermia on malignant cells in vivo: A review and a hypothesis. Cancer, 39(6), 2637-2646.
Twenty years ago, Teun van Vliet was twice an indoor world champion cyclist and in 1988 wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in 2006 an inoperable recurrence of the tumor was detected. Teun had another round of brain surgery (“debulking”) and also received radiation treatment. This caused him to lose his power of speech, and to some degree he also lost memory and coordination.Within conventional oncology, nothing could be done for him. He was told that he had a year left to live at the most. Teun and his girlfriend decided to seek a second opinion and they went to Cologne to consult with Dr. Gorter, who advised him to do local hyperthermia in combination with immune therapy.
Teun van Vliet’s remarkable recovery from end-stage primary brain cancer has been written up in the following book: Bindels, G. (2010). Teun van Vliet-Drank, Vrouwen, de Koers en de Dood. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands: Elikser B.V.
У клеток рака неправильный метаболизм. Нормальные клетки, находящиеся повсюду в организме, производят углекислый газ, как отходы. В отличие от них, злокачественные клетки производят молочную кислоту. Когда клетки рака внутри опухоли нагревают до 42°C (107.6°F), производство молочной кислоты резко возрастает, и клетки становятся крайне кислотными (водородный показатель понижается)5. По мере того, как метаболизм внутри опухолевых клеток ускоряется, они, по существу, самоуничтожаются и тонут в молочной кислоте, которую производят. Здоровые ткани, окружающие клетки рака не затрагиваются локализованным направлением тепла, используемым в терапии. В ходе тех же биологических процессов, происходящих, в меньшей степени, при нормальном уровне лихорадки 38.3° C (101.3° F), рак все дольше находится в стрессовом состоянии и его клетки производят все больше молочной кислоты.
As mentioned, approximately 2,800 articles have been published to date on “regional” or “local” hyperthermia. Among the 50 most recent studies on local hyperthermia, the majority (32 of the studies) involved the use of hyperthermia with chemotherapy. The majority of the other studies evaluated local hyperthermia in combination with surgery and with radiation. The others involved some form of immunotherapy provided in combination with the local hyperthermia treatments (primarily TNF-alpha—tumor necrosis factor-alpha).
Researchers have documented that conventional treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation, used in combination with local hyperthermia, clearly work more effectively with less side effects. Only a handful of large clinical trials have focused on local hyperthermia as a stand-alone treatment, perhaps due to the lack of economic incentives.
We predict that in the future, patients who desire a non-toxic approach to cancer will be treated with localized hyperthermia, paired with some form of immunotherapy such as those offered at the Medical Center Cologne.
Overgaard, J. (2006). Effect of hyperthermia on malignant cells in vivo: A review and a hypothesis. Cancer, 39(6), 2637-2646.
Twenty years ago, Teun van Vliet was twice an indoor world champion cyclist and in 1988 wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in 2006 an inoperable recurrence of the tumor was detected. Teun had another round of brain surgery (“debulking”) and also received radiation treatment. This caused him to lose his power of speech, and to some degree he also lost memory and coordination.Within conventional oncology, nothing could be done for him. He was told that he had a year left to live at the most. Teun and his girlfriend decided to seek a second opinion and they went to Cologne to consult with Dr. Gorter, who advised him to do local hyperthermia in combination with immune therapy.
Teun van Vliet’s remarkable recovery from end-stage primary brain cancer has been written up in the following book: Bindels, G. (2010). Teun van Vliet-Drank, Vrouwen, de Koers en de Dood. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands: Elikser B.V.
Un paziente si sottopone a ipertermia localizzata
Le cellule del cancro sono anche capaci di nascondersi per non essere identificate dal sistema immunitario. La terapia della febbre di tutto il corpo, e l’ipertermia localizzata, spezzano questo meccanismo di camuffamento. Sia per l’ipertermia totale che per quella localizzata, ogni aumento della temperatura sottopone le cellule del cancro a uno stress maggiore, fino a che la produzione di acido lattico aumenta, al punto che la stessa cellula rischia di soffocare. Le masse tumorali cercano di sfuggire alla morte incombente, impiegando tutte le loro energie per sopravvivere, e quindi sono costrette a rinunciare al loro meccanismo di fuga. Quando questo succede vengono facilmente identificate dalle cellule dendritiche, che ora possono “vedere” meglio quelle tumorali “nude” o non camuffate. Come risultato, le cellule dendritiche possono ottenere più facilmente un’immagine dell’ID (profilo, o antigene) delle cellule del cancro. L’apparecchiatura utilizzata per l’ipertermia localizzata non comporta rischi di ustione e può essere diretta esclusivamente sull’area del corpo da trattare. A differenza dell’ipertermia di tutto il corpo, con la tecnica localizzata possiamo riscaldare selettivamente le cellule tumorali.
Questo ci permette di intervenire su aree del corpo che normalmente sarebbero difficili da trattare, come i polmoni, le ossa e la testa. Il fatto che l’ipertermia può essere efficace nel trattamento di tumori al cervello è stato confermato da un recente studio di fase III su pazienti con lesioni cerebrali, per i quali l’ipertermia ha dimostrato di portare risultati significativamente migliori, in termini di tempo trascorso senza manifestazioni della malattia, e di sopravvivenza, rispetto a radioterapia e/o farmaci.
Twenty years ago, Teun van Vliet was twice an indoor world champion cyclist and in 1988 wore the yellow jersey in the Tour de France.
In 2001 he was diagnosed with a brain tumor and in 2006 an inoperable recurrence of the tumor was detected. Teun had another round of brain surgery (“debulking”) and also received radiation treatment. This caused him to lose his power of speech, and to some degree he also lost memory and coordination.Within conventional oncology, nothing could be done for him. He was told that he had a year left to live at the most. Teun and his girlfriend decided to seek a second opinion and they went to Cologne to consult with Dr. Gorter, who advised him to do local hyperthermia in combination with immune therapy.
Teun van Vliet’s remarkable recovery from end-stage primary brain cancer has been written up in the following book: Bindels, G. (2010). Teun van Vliet-Drank, Vrouwen, de Koers en de Dood. Leeuwarden, The Netherlands: Elikser B.V.
Efficacia – Le cellule Natural Killer (NK) svolgono un ruolo importante nel distruggere le masse tumorali. L’ipertermia è efficace nel mettere in azione le cellule Natural Killer. Quando, in più, vengono inoculate cellule dendritiche, esse attivano le cellule T (citotossici), dando loro le informazioni sul tessuto tumorale presente nel corpo. Lavorando in combinazione, queste difese immunitarie hanno effetti inibitori sulla crescita del tumore.
Sicurezza e durata – Gli studi condotti tra il 1980 e il 1990 hanno definito l’ipertermia come una forma di trattamento sicura. Ricerche condotte in Germania hanno inoltre confermato la sicurezza della radiazione infrarossa come fonte di calore ottimale. Questa è la forma di energia termica uti- lizzata presso il Medical Center Cologne per l’ipertermia di tutto il corpo. In termini di durata della terapia, i primi studi praticavano l’ipertermia per una durata da 30 a 60 minuti, ma la maggior parte dei trattamenti somministrati attualmente durano in genere da due a quattro ore, a seconda della risposta del paziente, più una fase di raffreddamento di una o due ore. Il modello di Colonia utilizza un protocollo che prevede una durata totale di almeno tre o quattro ore: la temperatura è gradualmente aumentata per 120 minuti o più, poi per 60 minuti la temperatura è mantenuta a un livello costante (plateau), prima di raffreddare gradualmente per tornare allla temperatura normale.
Modulare la temperatura interna – La ricerca ha confermato che le forme tradizionali di terapia del calore, quali bagni minerali e Jacuzzi, hanno un effetto molto limitato sulla temperatura interna. Uno studio condotto presso l’Università di Medicina di Hannover, in Germania, ha mostrato che quando la temperatura del corpo viene aumentata da bagni caldi progressivamente riscaldati fino a 42° C, la temperatura interna aumenta effettivamente solo di 0,4° C rispetto alla norma.
Attivare il sistema immunitario – È ben noto che il sistema immunitario si innesca, e raddoppia il suo livello di attività, quando il sangue è a 38,5° C di temperatura. Per questo motivo, la temperatura massima utilizzata con i pazienti a Colonia è di 39° C. Questo approccio moderato all’ipertermia aumenta la sicurezza, mentre rinforza efficacemente la risposta immunitaria.
L’intelligenza del corpo – Uno studio condotto ad Amburgo, in Germania, ha scoperto che l’aumento della temperatura corporea, di per sé, non induce automaticamente la risposta immunitaria. In questa ricerca, è stata innalzata la temperatura di alcuni malati di cancro con l’ipertermia, confrontandoli con un campione di volontari sani che facevano pesanti esercizi fisici. Anche se i membri di entrambi i gruppi avevano una temperatura elevata, la funzione immunitaria è aumentata nei malati di cancro, ma non nei volontari sani. I fattori immunitari che sono incrementati nei malati di cancro comprendevano l’ormone umano della crescita, le cellule Natural Killer, e le cellule T.
Moderare la temperatura – Diversamente dal Modello Gorter, in molti studi si sono utilizzate temperature fino a 41,8-42° C e in alcuni casi i pazienti sono stati anestetizzati perché potessero tollerare queste temperature così alte. (Un’anestesia non necessaria è sempre da evitare, poiché può indurre invecchiamento nei pazienti anziani, con un fenomeno noto come Sindrome Sundowner, e comunque l’anestesia generale spesso ha un effetto di soppressione della funzione immunitaria).
Trattamento senza effetti collaterali – Uno studio effettuato in Germania sull’ipertermia applicata a pazienti afflitti da dolori dovuti a fibromialgia, ne ha verificato la sicurezza e l’efficacia. “Sono stati osservati degli effetti colLaterali in 14 pazienti su 69 (il 20%), ma sono scomparsi in meno di 30 minuti”21. Lo studio ha mostrato che l’ipertermia, combinata con la riabilitazione multimodale standard, risultava molto più efficace, in termini di riduzione del dolore e di miglioramento della qualità di vita, rispetto alla terapia standard da sola.
Ridurre al minimo il disagio – I ricercatori del Roswell Park Cancer Institute di Buffalo, nello stato di New York, riferiscono che i trattamenti di ipertermia di tutto il corpo “sono ben tollerati, senza eventi avversi signifi- cativi a carico dei sistemi cardiaco, epatico, renale o polmonare”.
La febbre terapeutica in combinazione con terapie convenzionali – Si è constatato che l’ipertermia aumenta l’efficacia della radioterapia e della chemioterapia e non interferisce con l’attività dei farmaci. Uno studio condotto presso un centro medico in Olanda ha monitorato i progressi di 378 pazienti oncologici trattati con ipertermia e radioterapia. In un periodo di tempo di 8 anni, è stata ottenuta una risposta positiva nel 77% dei pazienti. Al quinto anno, il tasso di sopravvivenza alla malattia specifica è stato del 47%, il che è significativo nel trattamento del cancro. La tossicità è stata un problema per il 12% dei pazienti. I ricercatori hanno concluso che, oltre alla diagnosi, “il numero di trattamenti di ipertermia è emerso come fattore di predizione di un esito positivo”. Nella maggior parte degli studi, una risposta terapeutica di stabilizzazione è stata sperimentata da oltre il 50% dei pazienti, in genere tra il 56% e l’80% di quelli trattati. L’ipertermia sta diventando una pratica accettata in tutta Europa ed è stata studiata negli Stati Uniti, presso centri medici universitari come l’Università della Pennsylvania e l’Università del Texas. Prevediamo che la fase successiva di questa ricerca si concentrerà sull’ipertermia come terapia del cancro a sé stante per i pazienti con tumori inoperabili e per coloro che hanno bisogno, o desiderio, di un protocollo a basso contenuto di tossicità.
Overgaard, J. (2006). Effect of hyperthermia on malignant cells in vivo: A review and a hypothesis. Cancer, 39(6), 2637-2646.