Dr. Sennewald Medizintechnik GmbH

The effect of hyperthermia at the biochemical level

Hyperthermia destroys cancer cells by raising the temperature in the cell to between 41.5°C and 43°C. It takes advantage of the weaknesses in malignant tumors described above. Since the body reduces temperature through perfusion, tumors with low or irregular perfusion remain at a higher temperature level during hyperthermia, while the surrounding normal tissue, with regular perfusion, remains at a lower temperature.

Science attributes the death of cancer cells at hyperthermic temperature to damage of the plasma membrane, the cell skeleton, and the cell nucleus. Cancer cells are particularly susceptible to hyperthermia treatment due to their high acidity.

This is the result of their inability to eliminate anaerobic metabolites. Hyperthermia attacks the overacidified cells, breaches the stability of the cellular proteins, leads to their aggregation, finally resulting in cell death.

Biochemical mode of action of hyperthermia