How can hyperthermia help you? What the research says - CancerChoices



Many types and varieties of hyperthermia (heat treatment) are used in conventional cancer care, and some additional uses are being explored for improving survival and reducing risk of recurrence.

How can hyperthermia help you? What the research says

We summarize the clinical evidence for each medical benefit here. We begin with our assessment of the strength of evidence within each category, followed by a brief summary of individual studies or reviews of several studies. In assessing the strength of evidence, we consider the study design, number of participants, and the size of the treatment effect (how much outcomes changed with treatment).

To see more details, click the plus sign to the right of any section.

Hyperthermia is classified in three broad categories depending on how much tissue is heated:

  1. Local hyperthermia, in which only the tumor and perhaps some surrounding tissue are heated
  2. Regional hyperthermia, in which a part of the body, such as an organ, limb, or body cavity is heated
  3. Whole-body hyperthermia, in which the entire body is placed in a heated chamber or hot water bath or wrapped with heated blankets

Diathermy means “deep heating” and refers to the heating of tissues underneath the surface of the skin. Several types of diathermy use different methods to achieve this deep heating, including these three basic types:

  • Short-wave diathermy uses electromagnetic waves in the radio wave frequency spectrum to generate heat, as in the same frequency used to transmit music from a radio station to your car radio.
  • Microwave diathermy uses electromagnetic waves in the microwave frequency spectrum to generate heat, as in the same frequency used by a microwave oven.
  • Ultrasound diathermy uses sound waves to generate heat.

Diathermic hyperthermia, deep hyperthermia, or deep tissue hyperthermia uses electric currents (radio and sound waves) to generate heat in organs or layers of skin below the surface.

Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) selectively delivers heat energy into the tumor without affecting the healthy neighboring tissue. Two electrodes are positioned with the tumor in between them. A current moves in one direction from one electrode, through the tissue, to the electrode on the opposite side of the tumor. Due to the physical and chemical properties of the tumor, current flows directly through and around the tumor generating heat in the process. This allows for greater temperatures to be achieved in the tumor tissue compared to the healthy surrounding tissue thus improving therapeutic target temperatures of the tumor without damaging surrounding tissue or harming the patient.

Different sources may be used to create heat for hyperthermia therapies. These sources and the types of therapies using each are described briefly here.

1. Radio waves or radiofrequency or microwaves

  • Microwave hyperthermia or microwave-induced local hyperthermia
  • Radio-hyperthermia or radiofrequency hyperthermia
  • Radiofrequency capacitive hyperthermia
  • Radiofrequency ablation (RFA)
  • Regional inductive moderate hyperthermia

2. Lasers

  • Laser interstitial thermal therapy using a small laser to destroy unhealthy brain tissue

3. Ultrasound, sound waves with frequencies above the range of human hearing

  • High intensity focused ultrasound, or HIFU
  • Ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation

4. Heated fluids that are perfused into the body: 

  • Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) fills the abdominal cavity with heated chemotherapy drugs
  • Hyperthermic intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC) perfuses the chest cavity with heated chemotherapy, usually after complete resection of visible pleuralrelating to the membranes lining the thorax and enveloping the lungs malignancies
  • Hyperthermic intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) perfuses heated chemotherapy to an organ, typically the bladder

The heat can be introduced to the body through probes or from outside the body through focused beams of radiation or sound.

Some applications of hyperthermic treatments are recognized as conventional and even standard care in the US. Some conventional uses and selected references:

Improving treatment outcomes

Is hyperthermia linked to improved survival? Is it linked to less cancer growth or metastasis? Does it enhance the anticancer action of other treatments or therapies? We present the evidence.

Cancer as a whole

Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of higher response rate and more complete remissions after low-dose radiotherapy among people with superficial recurrent malignant tumors treated with microwave-induced local hyperthermia

Advanced cancer

Preliminary evidence of higher complete response rate after external beam radiation among people with painful bony metastasis from a variety of primary tumor types treated with hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better rates of complete and partial remission and better overall response rates among people with advanced cancer as a whole treated with whole-body hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of higher rates of partial regression and stabilization and lower rate of progression after combined chemotherapy among people with breast cancer with multiple liver metastases treated with regional inductive moderate hyperthermia

Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of better tumor response or survival among people with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with hyperthermia

Weak evidenceone or more case studies, supported by animal evidence OR small treatment effects of limited clinical significance OR studies with no controls OR weak trends of effects (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of longer overall survival but no evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on 5-year survival after chemoradiotherapy among people with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with regional whole-pelvis hyperthermia

No evidence of an effect on local control among people with advanced cervical cancer treated with interstitial hyperthermia

Modest evidence of better local control and greater complete metabolic response rate after chemoradiotherapy among people with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with modulated electro-hydrotherapy (mEHT)

Modest evidence of better tumor response to radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy among people with advanced rectal cancer treated with local or regional hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better tumor control among people with advanced carcinoma of the head and neck treated with hyperthermia

Modest evidence of better tumor response after conventional treatment (surgery, radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy) among people with advanced head, neck, or oral cancer treated with local or regional hyperthermia

No evidence of an effect on complete response, partial response, or stable disease among people with advanced non-small cell lung cancer treated with radiofrequency hyperthermia

Preliminary and conflicting evidence of tumor response among people with malignant melanoma treated with hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better survival among people with locally advanced pancreatic cancer treated with local or regional hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better survival among people with advanced stomach cancer treated with regional hyperthermia in addition to chemotherapy

Weak evidence of tumor response (69% local control rate at 12 months and median overall survival of 17.5 months) among people with brain metastasis with in-field recurrence treated with laser interstitial thermal therapy

Bladder cancer

Preliminary evidence of tumor response or better local control or survival after conventional treatment among people with bladder cancer treated with local or regional hyperthermia

Brain cancer

Preliminary evidence of higher tumor response among people with relapsed glioblastoma multiforme and astrocytomas treated with modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT)

Weak evidence of tumor response after temozolamide-based chemotherapy and radiotherapy among people with relapsed malignant glioma treated with hyperthermia from short radiofrequency waves

Breast cancer

Modest evidence of higher response rates after radiotherapy among people with breast cancer treated with hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better tumor response and survival after neoadjuvanttherapy used before a main treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy before surgery chemotherapy among people with breast cancer treated with regional inductive moderate hyperthermia

Also see the effects on advanced breast cancer in Advanced cancer above.

Colorectal cancer

Preliminary evidence of better cancer-specific survival after the first recurrence and a weak trendan apparent change due to a therapy, close to but not achieving full statistical significance (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently towards higher rates of downstaging and complete tumor response after chemoradiotherapy among people with locally advanced rectal cancer treated with radiofrequency hyperthermia

Also see the effects on advanced rectal cancer in Advanced cancer above.

Gastrointestinal cancer

Colorectal cancer is listed separately.

Preliminary evidence of better overall survival, local control, and colostomy-free survival after chemoradiotherapy among people with anal cancer treated with hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of longer overall survival after radical gastrectomy among people with stomach (gastric) cancer treated with hyperthermic chemotherapy

Also see the effects on advanced stomach cancer in Advanced cancer above.

Gynecological cancer

Preliminary evidence of better survival or treatment response after conventional treatment among people with cervical cancer treated with hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of higher complete response rate and longer duration of local control after radiotherapy among people with cervical cancer treated with deep hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better 6-month local disease control after chemoradiotherapy among people with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix treated with modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT)

Also see the effects on advanced cervical cancer in Advanced cancer above.

Head, neck, and oral cancer

Preliminary (somewhat conflicting) evidence of better response to conventional radiotherapy or chemoradiotherapy among people with nasopharyngeal cancer treated with hyperthermia

Also see the effects on advanced head and neck cancer in Advanced cancer above.

Pelvic cancer

Preliminary evidence of higher complete response rate and longer duration of local control after radiotherapy among people with bladder cancer, cervical cancer, or rectal cancer treated with deep hyperthermia

Prostate cancer

Preliminary evidence of better relapse-free survival after conventional treatment among people with high-risk localized prostate cancer treated with regional hyperthermia

Also see the effects on advanced prostate cancer in Advanced cancer above.

Sarcoma

Good evidencesignificant effects in one large or several mid-sized and well-designed clinical studies (randomized controlled trials (RCTs) with an appropriate placebo or other strong comparison control or observational studies that control for confounds) (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of longer survival after chemotherapy, sometimes following surgery, among people with soft tissue sarcoma treated with regional hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of higher tumor response after neoadjuvant chemotherapy among people with with high-risk soft-tissue sarcoma treated with regional hyperthermia

Thyroid cancer

Preliminary evidence of smaller tumor volume among people with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma treated with ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation

Hyperthermia combined with other therapies

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with recurrent and/or metastatic cervical cancer treated with carboplatin and whole-body hyperthermia

No evidence of an effect on peritoneal metastases among people with resected colon cancer treated with adjuvanttreatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, especially to suppress secondary tumor formation HIPEC

Preliminary evidence of longer survival and fewer peritoneal metastases after target organ resection among people with advanced colon cancer treated with HIPEC

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with metastatic colorectal cancer treated with chemotherapy plus whole-body hyperthermia

Modest evidence of longer survival after cytoreductive surgery among people with ovarian cancer treated with HIPEC

Preliminary evidence of tumor response after failed chemotherapy among among people with advanced or metastatic pancreatic cancer treated with chemotherapy and hyperthermia

Preliminary and somewhat conflicting evidence of better treatment outcomes after surgery among people with stomach cancer treated with hyperthermic chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Preliminary evidence of comparable disease-free survival or rates of complete response among people with recurrent non–muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with radiofrequency-induced thermo-chemotherapy effect (RITE) compared to institutional standard second-line therapy

Good evidence of comparable risk of bladder tumor progression after transurethral resection of bladder tumor treatment (TURBt) among people with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with either hyperthermia intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) with mitomycin C or bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with residual or recurrent esophageal cancer treated with radiofrequency capacitive heating system-based hyperthermia with chemotherapy

Modest evidence of better survival among people with primary or secondary malignant pleural effusions treated with hyperthermic intrapleural or intrathoracic chemotherapy (HITHOC)

Preliminary evidence of better survival among people with refractory advanced non-small-cell lung cancer treated with intravenous vitamin C concurrent with modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT)

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with various types of cancer with superficial recurrences treated with radio-hyperthermia

Weak evidence of tumor response among elderly people with muscle-invasive bladder cancers treated with radiotherapy and radiofrequency hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of lower mortality among people with brain cancer treated with hyperthermia and radiotherapy

Weak evidence of clinical response and local control among people with recurrent breast cancer treated with radiotherapy and hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of comparable event-free survival after radiotherapy among people with locally advanced cervical cancer treated with either hyperthermia or chemotherapy

Preliminary evidence of better survival among people with esophageal cancer treated with hyperthermia and radiation

Weak evidence of tumor response and control after previous radiotherapy among people with head and neck cancer with superficial recurrences treated with radio-hyperthermia

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with melanoma with superficial recurrences treated with radio-hyperthermia

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with locally advanced prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy and regional hyperthermia

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with advanced-stage cervical cancer treated with platinum-based chemotherapy, radiotherapy, brachytherapy, and hyperthermia

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma treated with intensity-modulated radiotherapy and hyperthermia, plus chemotherapy for most people

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with head and neck cancer treated with radiotherapy, cisplatin, and hyperthermia

No evidence of an effect on overall survival among people with colorectal cancer at high risk for developing colorectal peritoneal metastases treated with surgery and HIPEC

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with desmoplastic small round cell tumors, peritoneal tumor, and other tumors treated with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with lung cancer with advanced pleural spread treated with thoracoscopic intrapleural perfusion hyperthermic chemotherapy and radical surgery

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with peritoneal sarcomatosis or advanced peritoneal rhabdomyosarcomas treated with cytoreductive surgery and HIPEC

Weak evidence of tumor response after cytoreductive surgery among people with uterine sarcoma treated with intraperitoneal hyperthermic chemotherapy perfusion

Weak evidence of tumor response after cytoreductive surgery among people with pancreatic cancer treated with HIPEC

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with high-risk soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities treated with chemotherapy combined with regional hyperthermia followed by surgery, radiation, and adjuvant chemotherapy

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with mesothelioma treated with whole-body hyperthermia and chemotherapy

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with sarcoma treated with whole-body hyperthermia and chemotherapy

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with chemo- refractory malignant primary liver cancer treated with deep electro-hyperthermia with thermo-active agents and chemotherapy

Preliminary evidence of higher objective response ratepercentage of patients whose disease decreased after treatment among people with peritoneal carcinomatosis with malignant ascites treated with local mEHT combined with the traditional Chinese medicine ‘Shi Pi’ herbal decoction

Weak evidence of tumor response among people with locally advanced prostate cancer treated with androgen suppression therapy and conformal radiotherapy plus local hyperthermia

Optimizing your body terrain

Does hyperthermia promote an environment within your body that is less supportive of cancer development, growth, or spread? We present the evidence.

See Optimizing Your Body Terrain ›

Find medical professionals who specialize in managing body terrain factors: Finding Integrative Oncologists and Other Practitioners ›

Immune function

Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of immune activation after neoadjuvanttherapy used before a main treatment, such as chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone therapy before surgery chemotherapy among people with soft-tissue sarcoma treated with regional hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of some higher markers of immune activation after surgery for colorectal cancer among people treated with fever-range whole-body hyperthermia

Other terrain factors

Preliminary evidence of higher peak concentrations of vitamin C (ascorbic acid) among people with stage 3–4 non-small cell lung cancer treated with intravenous vitamin C (IVAA) simultaneously with modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT)

Managing side effects and promoting wellness

Is hyperthermia linked to fewer or less severe side effects or symptoms? Is it linked to less toxicity from cancer treatment? Does it support your quality of life or promote general well-being? We present the evidence.

Symptoms as a whole

Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of better scores on symptoms specific to nasopharyngeal carcinoma during and after chemoradiotherapy among people with nasopharyngeal carcinoma treated with non-invasive extracorporeal radiofrequency (ERF) hyperthermia

No evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on chemoradiotherapy toxicity among people with cervical cancer and HIV treated with modulated electrohyperthermia (mEHT)

Cognitive difficulties

Preliminary evidence of better cognitive function scores among people with cervical cancer and HIV treated with modulated electrohyperthermia

Fatigue

Preliminary evidence of less fatigue among people with cervical cancer and HIV treated with modulated electrohyperthermia

Pain

Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of less pain among people with cancer treated with hyperthermia

Quality of life

Preliminary evidence of better quality of life and performance status among people with advanced cancer treated with a hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of better social and emotional functioning among people with cervical cancer and HIV treated with modulated electrohyperthermia

Hyperthermia combined with other treatments

Weak evidenceone or more case studies, supported by animal evidence OR small treatment effects of limited clinical significance OR studies with no controls OR weak trends of effects (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of fewer presenting symptoms among people with recurrent carcinomas of the head and neck with metastatic cervical lymph nodes treated with radiation therapy, cisplatin, and ultrasound hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of higher quality of life among people with peritoneal carcinomatosis with malignant ascites treated with local modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) combined with the traditional Chinese medicine ‘Shi Pi’ herbal decoction

Preliminary evidence of better quality of life among people with refractory advanced (stage 3b or 4) non-small-cell lung cancer treated with intravenous vitamin C concurrent with modulated electrohyperthermia

Weak evidence of higher functioning among people with stage 3–4 non-small cell lung cancer treated with intravenous vitamin C (IVAA) and modulated electrohyperthermia

Reducing cancer risk

Is hyperthermia linked to lower risks of developing cancer or of recurrence? We present the evidence.

Bladder cancer

Preliminary evidencesignificant effects in small or poorly designed clinical studies OR conflicting results in adequate studies but a preponderance of evidence of an effect (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of longer recurrence-free survival after a complete transurethral resection of bladder tumor among people treated with hyperthermia

Gastrointestinal cancer

Preliminary evidence of lower risk of recurrence after chemoradiotherapy among people with anal cancer treated with hyperthermia

Preliminary evidence of lower risk of recurrence after radical gastrectomy among people with stomach (gastric) cancer treated with hyperthermic chemotherapy

Gynecological cancer

Preliminary and somewhat conflicting evidence of lower risk of recurrence among people with cervical cancer treated with hyperthermia

Modest evidencesignificant effects in at least three small but well-designed randomized controlled trials (RCTs), or one or more well-designed, mid-sized clinical studies of reasonably good quality (RCTs or observational studies), or several small studies aggregated into a meta-analysis (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of higher rate of clearance of high risk human papillomavirus (HPV)—a risk factor for gynecological cancer—among people treated with local hyperthermia, comparable to rates after cryotherapy or large loop excision of the transformation zone

Head and neck cancer

Modest evidence of lower risk of recurrence after conventional treatment among people with nasopharyngeal carcinoma or oral squamous cell carcinoma treated with hyperthermia

Prostate cancer

Preliminary evidence of lower risk of recurrence among people with prostate cancer treated with higher doses of regional hyperthermia

Sarcoma

Modest evidence of lower risk of recurrence after conventional treatment among people with soft tissue sarcoma treated with regional hyperthermia

Hyperthermia combined with other therapies

Preliminary evidence of better recurrence-free survival among people with bladder cancer treated with regional hyperthermic chemotherapy

Weak evidenceone or more case studies, supported by animal evidence OR small treatment effects of limited clinical significance OR studies with no controls OR weak trends of effects (this is the CancerChoices definition; other researchers and studies may define this differently) of lower risk of bladder tumor recurrence after transurethral resection of bladder tumor treatment (TURBt) among people with non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer treated with hyperthermia intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC) with mitomycin C

Weak evidence of lower risk of recurrence but also higher risk of progression to muscle infiltration among among people with non-muscle invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) who fail bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) therapy treated with hyperthermia intravesical chemotherapy (HIVEC)

Preliminary evidence of longer recurrence-free survival after target organ resection among people with advanced colon cancer treated with regional (HIPEC)

Preliminary evidence of lower risk of recurrence after surgery among people with stomach cancer treated with hyperthermic chemotherapy

No evidence of an effectoverall, one or more studies did not demonstrate that a treatment or intervention led to an expected outcome; this does not always mean that there is no effect in clinical practice, but that the studies may have been underpowered (too few participants) or poorly designed. Larger, well-designed studies provide more confidence in making assessments. on risk of recurrence among people with colorectal cancer at high risk for developing colorectal peritoneal metastases treated with surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Weak evidence of lower risk of recurrence among people with peritoneal sarcomatosis treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC)

Weak evidence of lower risk of recurrence among among people with locally advanced breast cancer and no prior radiotherapy treated with simultaneous hyperthermia and radiotherapy

Weak evidence of lower risk of recurrence (biochemical disease-free survival) among people with locally advanced prostate cancer treated with radiotherapy plus regional hyperthermia

Weak evidence of comparable risk of recurrence to amputation, but with 79% limb preservation among people with high-risk soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremities treated with chemotherapy combined with regional hyperthermia followed by surgery, radiation, and adjuvanttreatment applied after initial treatment for cancer, especially to suppress secondary tumor formation chemotherapy

Helpful link

Keep reading about hyperthermia

Authors

Nancy Hepp, MS

Lead Researcher
View profile

Ms. Hepp is a researcher and communicator who has been writing and editing educational content on varied health topics for more than 20 years. She serves as lead researcher and writer for CancerChoices and also served as the first program manager. Her graduate work in research and cognitive psychology, her master’s degree in instructional design, and her certificate in web design have all guided her in writing and presenting information for a wide variety of audiences and uses. Nancy’s service as faculty development coordinator in the Department of Family Medicine at Wright State University also provided experience in medical research, plus insights into medical education and medical care from the professional’s perspective.

Nancy Hepp, MS Lead Researcher

Andrew Jackson, ND

Research Associate
View profile

Andrew Jackson, ND, serves as a CancerChoices research associate. As a naturopathic physician practicing in Kirkland, Washington, he teaches critical evaluation of the medical literture at Bastyr University in Kenmore, Washington. His great appreciation of scientific inquiry and the scientific process has led him to view research with a critical eye.

Andrew Jackson, ND Research Associate

Reviewers

Susan Yaguda, MSN, RN

Manager at Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute and CancerChoices Clinical Consultant
View profile

Susan Yaguda, MSN, RN, has been a nurse for nearly 40 years, working in a variety of healthcare settings. She currently works in Charlotte, North Carolina, at Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute as the manager for Integrative Oncology and Cancer Survivorship. She works with a multidisciplinary team to deliver holistic, evidence-based support and education for patients and care partners at any point along the trajectory of cancer care. She completed the Integrative Oncology Scholars Program through the University of Michigan in 2020, is certified as an Integrative Health Coach through Duke Integrative Medicine and has a post-graduate certificate in Nursing Education from the University of North Carolina, Charlotte. Susan also was awarded the Planetree International Scholar’s Award in 2018 and was recognized by the Daisy Foundation for Nurse Leadership in 2021. Susan has a particular interest in empowering patients and care partners with knowledge to help drive informed decision making and educating nurses on the benefits of integrative care for patients and self-care. She has presented nationally and internationally on integrative oncology and nursing education.

She and her husband, Mark, have two adult children and a very spoiled foxhound. She enjoys hiking, knitting, cooking, and pickleball.

“As a frequent consumer of Beyond Conventional Cancer Therapies, and now CancerChoices, for both professional education and patient support, it is an honor to have the opportunity to engage with the dedicated team at CancerChoices to serve those impacted by this disease.”  

 

Susan Yaguda, MSN, RN Manager at Atrium Health’s Levine Cancer Institute and CancerChoices Clinical Consultant

Gurdev Parmar, ND, FABNO

Co-Founder and Medical Director of Integrated Health Clinic
View profile

Dr. Gurdev Parmar is co-founder and medical director of the largest naturopathic health care facility in Canada, the Integrated Health Clinic (IHC). He is licensed in both British Columbia, Canada, and Washington State, USA.

Dr. Parmar has launched the IHC Research Department with researchers and statisticians now on staff, with publishing patient outcomes on the horizon. He is also the residency director and primary teaching supervisor of a naturopathic oncology residency at IHC, a CNME-approved postdoctoral training facility for Bastyr University.

Dr. Parmar established locoregional hyperthermia treatment in Canada in 2009, and in 2018, he was nominated president of the International Clinical Hyperthermia Society (ICHS). He has served on numerous boards over the years, including an appointment to the OncANP Delphi Panel which has begun building consensus statements for the naturopathic oncology field, the first of which was published in Integrative Cancer Therapies.

Dr. Parmar writes and lectures internationally on a wide variety of topics, including clinical hyperthermia, the tumour microenvironment, and integrative cancer care. He has served on the editorial board of several medical journals and is the lead author and editor-in-chief of the Textbook of Naturopathic Oncology: A Desktop Guide of Integrative Cancer Care, as well as the Pearlz Clinical eBook Series. Dr. Parmar recently published a timely book, Arming the Immune System: The Incredible Power of Natural Immunity & the Fever Response.

Gurdev Parmar, ND, FABNO Co-Founder and Medical Director of Integrated Health Clinic

Last update: April 11, 2024

Last full literature review: March 2023

We are grateful for research support from Ma Victoria Acuña.

CancerChoices provides information about integrative in cancer care, a patient-centered approach combining the best of conventional care, self care and evidence-informed complementary care in an integrated plan cancer care. We review complementaryin cancer care, complementary care involves the use of therapies intended to enhance or add to standard conventional treatments; examples include supplements, mind-body approaches such as yoga or psychosocial therapy, and acupuncture therapies and self-care lifestyle actions and behaviors that may impact cancer outcomes; examples include eating health-promoting foods, limiting alcohol, increasing physical activity, and managing stress practices to help patients and professionals explore and integrate the best combination of conventionalthe cancer care offered by conventionally trained physicians and most hospitals; examples are chemotherapy, surgery, and radiotherapy and complementary therapies and practices for each person.

Our staff have no financial conflicts of interest to declare. We receive no funds from any manufacturers or retailers gaining financial profit by promoting or discouraging therapies mentioned on this site.

Learn more

References[+]