HEAT FRACTIONATION AND THERMOTOLERANCE - REVIEW

Abstract

A rational approach to the design of clinical cancer treatment protocols combining fractionated hyperthermia plus X-irradiation or hyperthermia plus chemotherapy requires an understanding of the biology of fractionated heat alone. Mammalian cells growing in vitro can dramatically increase their tolerance to thermal damage (i.e., reduce the cellular inactivation rate) after prior heat conditioning. Although the mechanism(s) for this cellular thermotolerance is still unknown, thermal history, heat fractionation interval and recovery conditions significantly modify the degree of thermotolerance subsequently exhibited. At the tissue level, the role of cellular thermotolerance is further complicated by host physiological mechanisms. Few data are available on heat fractionation in vivo, and the relative importance of physiological vs. cellular effects remains to be defined.