Hyperthermia, alone or in combination with chemotherapy and/or radiation, is rapidly emerging as an effective modality for cancer therapy. It is generally agreed that among the currently available techniques, scanned, intensity-modulated ultrasound (SIMFU) has the best potential for localized heating of deep tumors in most anatomical locations. Based on clinical results obtained from approximately 200 cancer patients at the Harvard-MIT Hyperthermia Center with the prototype SIMFU research system, there is considerable demand for a clinical SIMFU system with comparable performance.Using the well-documented SIMFU system as the basic model, the major goal of this Phase I project is to investigate the feasibility of designing a commercially viable, scanned, focused ultrasound hyperthermia system that is cost effective, can be routinely administered in the clinical setting, is capable of treating a wide variety of tumors, and is reliable and upgradable. The existing SIMFU hyperthermia system currently in use at the Hyperthermia Center has evolved developmentally over the last 10 years in a research environment. Consequently, it is complex, costly, and difficult to operate. Phase I funding is required to develop the specifications necessary for standardized clinical use.National Cancer Institute (NCI)
