MULTICENTER EXPERIENCE WITH COMBINED HYPERTHERMIA AND RADIATION-THERAPY IN THE TREATMENT OF SUPERFICIALLY LOCATED NON-HODGKINS-LYMPHOMAS

The combination of Radiation Therapy (RT) and Hyperthermia (HT) has pr oved to be an effective treatment for a wide variety of superficially located recurrences of different tumors, particularly those arising in previously irradiated areas. Few studies on the use of HT in the mana gement of lymphomatous diseases have so far obtained interesting resul ts. Eight patients with Non Hodgkin Lymphomas (LNH) - 4 with cutaneous lymphomas and 4 with nodal recurrences after RT-Chemotherapy (CHT) tr eatment - treated in three different Italian institutions with combine d RT and HT are here reported. Rt dose ranged from 15 to 40 Gy with di fferent fractionations, on the basis of previously received treatment. Hyperthermia was delivered using 432 or 915 MHz external microwave ap plicators, according to extension and depth of the lesions and availab le equipment. All patients tolerated well the HT treatment, and in all cases average intratumoral temperatures were >42 degrees, with 3 out of 10 treated sites achieving the goal of average temperatures >42.5%. One patient, with recurrent NHL, is disease-free after 24 months from completion of combined therapy. Our results seem to confirm previous experiences, suggesting a role of HT/RT not only for palliative purpos es in cutaneous lymphomas, but also as an adjunct to radiotherapy alon e in selected patients with superficially located recurrences.