Medical researchers say that heat has shown promise as a new way to help treat malignant tumors.

The new research, published in the journal Theranostics, took a look at the process of nanohyperthermia as a potential cancer treatment. According to the research, nanohyperthermia works to make a tumor more receptive to treatment without damaging healthy cells nearby.

What Is Nanohyperthermia?

One of the problems associated with treating tumors is that they can grow stiff due to the abnormal organization of cells and fibers. Not only is a stiff tumor a sign of malignancy, but it also aids in the spread of cancer cells. Finally, stiff tumors are problematic because a stiff tumor is less receptive to penetration from therapeutic healing agents.

Researchers have been looking for ways to soften these tumors to prevent them from spreading and aid in the removal and treatment of the tumor. One technique that has shown promise is nanotherapy, which involves the application of localized heat for three minutes at 125.6 degrees Fahrenheit. In order to complete this process, researchers inject carbon nanotubes directly into the tumor, which are later activated using a near-infrared light. Researchers noticed that tumors given this treatment gradually softened over the course of roughly 10 days after nanohyperthermia was performed.

How Nanohyperthermia Works

Nanohyperthermia works by disrupting the microenvironment of the tumor without harming other areas around the tumor. The near-infrared light only affects areas covered by the carbon nanotubes, meaning only the tumor tissue is disrupted.

Researchers believe the heating therapy can be beneficial for a number of reasons. For starters, as we mentioned above when discussing the problems of stiff tumors, nanohyperthermia can soften a tumor and make it more receptive to treatment or removal. When coupled with chemotherapy, nanohypoerthermia may be able to provide more effective treatment outcomes and reduce the risk of a tumor spreading to other areas of the body.