Combined treatment of radiofrequency capacitive hyperthermia for urological malignancies.

During the period from April 1984 to July 1993, we investigated the clinical efficacy of local hyperthermia used to treat 110 patients with urological malignancies. We investigated the long-term outcome of 40 (36.4%) responders who exhibited an immediate, partial or better response to the therapy. The one-year survival rate was 75% for retroperitoneal tumor, 65% for bladder cancer, 33% for each of renal cell carcinoma and prostatic cancer and 29% for renal pelvic and ureteral cancer. The 5-year survival rate was 48% for bladder cancer, 29% for renal pelvic and ureteral cancer, 25% for retroperitoneal tumor, and 0% for renal cell carcinoma and prostatic cancer. Subsidence of intolerable pain caused by cancer invasion was achieved in 29 of 42 patients (69.0%), indicating an improvement in patient's quality of life through pain relief.