The in vivo effect of regional hyperthermia on dunning R3327 prostatic tumor.

This report describes the in vivo effect of regional hyperthermia on male Copenhagen rats implanted with Dunning R3327 prostatic carcinoma. In six rats, a 22-gauge 1.5-cm needle was inserted into the tumor and heated to 46.5 degrees C for 2 hr. Two hyperthermia treatments were administered 48 hr apart. In a separate group of six rats, the needle was inserted into the tumor, but not heated. After treatment, serial measurements of tumor volume and body weight were made twice a week for 4 weeks. From the first day of measurement to day 22, the tumor size in the treated group compared to control was significantly smaller, P = 0.02. In the first 12 days following treatment, the mean value of body weight in the treated and control groups decreased 7% and 3%, respectively. Following this, body weights increased to baseline levels by the end of the study. No other side effects related to hyperthermia were observed and no immediate mortality occurred. In the control group, two rats died from lung metastasis of the prostatic carcinoma after day 22. In the treated group, no lung metastases were found and no rats died before being sacrificed on day 29. Our experiments show that local elevation of the temperature of the Dunning tumor results in the death of tumor cells; at 46.5 degrees C for 2 hr there is marked tumor damage while the rats tolerated the hyperthermia well.