CLINICAL-EXPERIENCES IN THE THERMORADIOTHERAPY FOR ADVANCED GASTRIC-CANCER

Recurrent and/or inoperable gastric cancer has been treated by thermor adiotherapy at Kyoto University Hospital since 1983. In the present st udy, the efficacy of hyperthermia (using radiofrequency capacitive hea ting) plus radiotherapy for gastric cancer was evaluated in 21 patient s with local recurrence, abdominal wall metastases, peritonitis carcin omatosis or paraaortic node metastases. The intratumour temperature wa s measured using a microthermocouple thermometer. The means of the max imum, average, and minimum intratumour temperature were 43.5, 42.1, an d 41.1 degrees C respectively. The local tumour response was evaluated using computed tomography (CT). The local response rate (complete reg ression plus partial regression/all tumours) was 88.9%, which seemed t o be higher than that of other reports using thermochemotherapy or rad iotherapy alone. The one-year cumulative survival rate was 39.1%.