Health Watch: Using Heat To Treat Breast Cancer

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- A new treatment for breast cancer is stirring up debate. Health Reporter Stephanie Stahl is On Your Side with details.

More than 200,000 new cases of breast cancer will be diagnosed this year. Traditional treatment can be scary to some women, so they look for alternative therapy. Now some doctors are using heat to destroy the cancer.

Angela Robinson was recently diagnosed with breast cancer.

"My primary doctor offered the traditional medical treatment which is to cut, poison and burn which is surgery, chemo and radiation," said Angela. She feels traditional chemotherapy and radiation are like having grenades inside your body, wiping out the good cells along with the bad.

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"In order to kill off tumor cells be it through surgery or chemotherapy or radiation the accepted standards that we use, you do have some sort of collateral damage so to speak of healthy nearby tissues," said Dr. Kristi Funk, an Oncologist.

So instead, Angela chose to fight her cancer with a new procedure called hyperthermia. She believes it's a less invasive option with fewer side effects.

A machine delivers heat through ultrasound or microwave directly to the tumor for about an hour killing off the cancer. The patient then undergoes low dose radiation treatment for about 30 minutes, five times a week for about three months. Early research shows heat also makes the radiation more effective.

One researcher says 80 percent of his early stage patients have survived at least five years after the hyperthermia treatment.

Hyperthermia, which is being offered at Lankenau Medical Center, is approved by the FDA.

Many doctors aren't convinced the treatment is beneficial, but those who use hyperthermia say it can double the effectiveness of radiation.

For more information about the procedure being offered at Lankenau call 484-476-2433.

RELATED LINKS:

Hyperthermia Information - http://www.breastcancer.org/treatment/radiation/how_works.jsp and http://www.bichercancerinstitute.com/hyperthermia.html