1985 Douglas Lea memorial lecture. Hyperthermia in the treatment of cancer.

There are sound biological reasons for using hyperthermia in the treatment of malignant disease. This review includes a discussion of this rationale and describes effects of hyperthermia either given alone or in combination with ionising radiation to cells in vitro, tumours or normal tissues. Topics discussed include thermotolerance, step-down sensitisation, fractionation, re-treatment of previously irradiated sites, thermal enhancement ratio and thermal dose. Problems of heat delivery and temperature measurement are considered and the current status of clinical studies is stated briefly.