Is chronic lymphocytic leukemia a contraindication for radon and thermotherapy? - A case report

A growing number of patients presenting for radon-thermotherapy have a hist ory of malignant disease. The question as to whether malignancies in genera l are a contraindication for radon treatment or mild hyperthermia during sp a therapy is still a subject of controversy. We report a patient with osteo arthritis and a frozen shoulder who repeatedly underwent speleotherapeutic radon and hyperthermia treatment in the gallery of the Gasteiner Heilstolle n, Austria, despite concomitant chronic lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL, Rai st age 0). After nine courses of radon-thermotherapy over eight years, no appa rent negative impact on CLL was noted. The purpose of this case report is t o encourage discussion as to whether CLL or other past or present malignanc ies must be considered a contraindication for spa treatment such as radon-t hermotherapy.