FEVER-RANGE WHOLE-BODY HYPERTHERMIA
THE MEDICAL PRINCIPLE
The healthy organism reacts to the threat of illness with regulated increase in temperature. In cases of acute infections, high fever triggers an enhanced immune response. Body temperature plays a crucial role in the most complex regulation of the immune system. Fever can be considered as being a temporary "special immune program" of nature.
Whole-body hyperthermia can mimic some of these effects and help to "reset" the immune system to overcome chronic pathologic dysfunctions in case of chronic inflammation and auto-immune diseases as well as support anti-tumor immune surveillance.
Beside immune effects, whole-body hyperthermia has strong perfusional effects and is effective in relaxing deep-seated muscle layers, reducing chronic pain disorders.
Fibromyalgia (FMS), chronic pain disorders of locomotor system
Depressive disorder
The physiotherapist and psychoneuroimmunologist Kay-U. Hanusch who was responsible for overse...
Chronic inflammatory diseases
In contrast, the treatment of chronic inflammation and infection remains a therapeutic ...
Chronic infection, Lyme disease
heckel-HT3000 TECHNIQUE
Heat input with skin-compatible and depth-effective water-filtered Infrared-A radiation (wIRA) directly into the blood-streamed tissue.
Quick and tolerable increase in body core temperature.
Great lying comfort on an adjustable patient's bed.
Immediate transition into the heat retention phase by reducing the radiation intensity or by wrapping the patient in the tent fabric where the position of the patient can be changed gradually between the lying and seated positions.
- Mobile treatment unit without water connections. 16A-power current supply is sufficient.
- Continuous measurement of core temperature, heart rate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure, ECG, respiratory frequency.
- Special documentation software FebroData with manifold options (see below).
The infrared whole-body hyperthermia device heckel-HT3000 is an effective, patient-friendly, flexibly applicable device for mild and fever-range whole-body hyperthermia.
Whole-Body Hyperthermia (WBH) Basics and Clinical Results
Download the Key Publications:
Heckel-Reusser S:
Whole-Body Hyperthermia (WBH): Historical Aspects, Current Use, and Future Perspectives.
In: Water-filtered Infrared A (wIRA) Irradiation (Ed.: P. Vaupel), pp. 143-154. Springer Nature Switzerland, Cham. DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-92880-3_11
Janssen CW, Lowry CA:Janssen CW, Lowry CA, Mehl MR, Allen JJ, Kelly KL, Gartner DE, Medrano A, Begay TK, Rentscher K, White JJ, Fridman A, Roberts LJ, Robbins ML, Hanusch KU, Cole SP, Raison CL:
Whole-Body Hyperthermia for the Treatment of Major Depressive Disorder: A Randomized Clinical Trial
JAMA Psychiatry. 2016 Aug 1;73(8):789-95
Hohneck AL, Sadikaj L, Heinemann L, Schroeder M, Riess H, Gerhards A, Burkholder I, Heckel-Reusser S, Gottfried J, Hofheinz RD.
Patients with Advanced Pancreatic Cancer Treated with Mistletoe and Hyperthermia in Addition to Palliative Chemotherapy: A Retrospective Single-Center Analysis. Cancers
(Basel). 2023 Oct 11;15(20):4929.
doi: 10.3390/cancers15204929.
Kleef R, Nagy R, Baierl A, Bacher V, Bojar H, McKee DL, Moss R, Thoennissen NH, Szász M, Bakacs T
Low-dose ipilimumab plus nivolumab combined with IL-2 and hyperthermia in cancer patients with advanced disease: exploratory findings of a case series of 131 stage IV cancers - a retrospective study of a single institution
Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2020
Bull JM, Scott GL, Strebel FR, Nagle VL, Oliver D, Redwine M, Rowe RW, Ahn CW, Koch SM:
Fever-range whole-body thermal therapy combined with cisplatin, gemcitabine, and daily interferon-alpha: a description of a phase I-II protocol.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2008 Dec;24(8):649-62
