Importance of Patient Positioning in Hyperthermia for Deep-seated Intrathoracic Tumors Using an 8 MHz RF Capacitive Heating Device.

Abstract

We evaluated the influence of a patient's position on the effectiveness of hyperthermia of deep-seated tumors using an 8 MHz radiofrequency (RF) capacitive heating device for 26 cases of intrathoracic tumors without chest wall invasion.We found that the degree of thermoesthesia (pain caused by heating) was significantly smaller in the prone position when compared to the supine position (p<0.0001). Average maximum RF outputs for supine and prone positions were 813 ± 141 W and 1281± 166W (mean± SD), respectively (p<0.001).We recommend treatment in the prone position for hyperthermia on deep-seated, intrathoracic tumors.