Hot chemotherapy is a procedure that targets a specific area of the body with chemo drugs. This procedure differs from traditional chemo, which affects a patient’s entire body. Other terms may also refer to hot chemo, including hot chemo wash and hot chemotherapy bath. Certain types of hot chemo are standard mesothelioma treatment options.
Compared to traditional chemotherapy, hot chemo is a newer approach. It offers many potential benefits and may pose less risks than standard chemotherapy. Many chemo drawbacks, like nausea and hair loss, are less common with hot chemo. Continue reading for an overview of this promising treatment method.
What Is Hot Chemotherapy Treatment?
Hot chemotherapy delivers heated drugs directly to an area with tumors. This specialized approach allows chemo drugs to kill cancer cells, while mostly leaving healthy cells alone. The secret to this lies in its targeted application and the temperature of the drugs.
Because doctors apply hot chemo drugs to an isolated area, most of the drugs stay contained. As a result, healthy cells in the rest of the body are largely unaffected by chemo drugs. The high temperature of the drugs also helps kill cancer cells more effectively. But what about healthy cells within this area?
Healthy cells can survive at hotter temperatures than cancer cells. So, chemo drugs can be hot enough to kill cancer cells while being cool enough to preserve most healthy cells.
Types of Hot Chemotherapy for Mesothelioma
Specific types of hot chemo may be best suited for mesothelioma patients. Doctors often pair hot chemo with other treatments, which can lead to improved outcomes. For instance, when combined with surgery, hot chemo can extend survival for select mesothelioma patients. Researchers continue studying hot chemo drugs and treatment combinations for mesothelioma.
HIPEC is a peritoneal mesothelioma treatment where heated chemotherapy drugs are circulated in a patient’s abdomen. Doctors often perform HIPEC after cytoreductive surgery has removed visible tumors.
Learn About HIPECHITHOC is a pleural mesothelioma treatment where heated chemotherapy drugs are administered directly into the chest cavity. Doctors often perform HITHOC after removing visible tumors through surgeries like pleurectomy/decortication.
Learn About HITHOCHow Is Hot Chemotherapy Different From Traditional Chemo?
Systemic (non-localized) chemotherapy travels in the bloodstream throughout a patient’s body. This type of treatment has been used for more than a century. It is often effective at killing cancer cells. But it affects a patient’s whole body, which leads to unpleasant side effects.
For instance, systemic chemo patients often suffer from a weakened immune system, hair loss and nausea. Patients may also experience physical weakness and weight loss. These side effects can be scary and may deter some patients from choosing this treatment method.
Hot chemotherapy improves many of these issues, while boasting better patient outcomes overall.
- Better cancer-killing ability: Heated chemo may kill cancer cells more effectively than unheated.
- Complementary to other therapies: Hot chemo shows encouraging results when combined with other treatments.
- Drugs can reach beyond the tumor surface: Heating the chemotherapy drug boosts intake of the drug into cancer tissue.
- Facilitates recovery: The procedure is well-tolerated and patients recover from it quickly.
- Keeps treatment options open: It allows the patient to go on to many additional treatments if necessary.
- May make invasive surgery unnecessary: It may allow patients to avoid more aggressive surgery by better targeting cancer cells through nonsurgical means.
- More tolerable side effects: It causes fewer and milder side effects than systemic chemotherapy.
Hot chemotherapy side effects are generally milder than systemic chemo. But like all procedures, adverse effects are possible. Potential side effects vary depending on the specific type of hot chemo. Examples may include infection, digestive problems and blood clots.
Many patients do not experience severe side effects from hot chemo. Any side effects that do occur should be reported to doctors immediately. Patients who are interested in hot chemo should discuss it with their oncologists.
Sources
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Katy Moncivais, Ph.D., has more than 15 years of experience as a medical communicator. As the Medical Editor at Mesothelioma.com, she ensures our pages and posts present accurate, helpful information.
