title: The utility of hyperthermia for local recurrence of breast cancer.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Hyperthermia has long been used in combination with chemotherapy or radiation therapy for the treatment of superficial malignancies, in part due to its sensitizing capabilities. Patients who suffer from superficial recurrences of breast cancer have poor clinical outcomes. Skin metastases may particularly impair the quality of life due to the physical appearance, odor and bleeding.
  
  
  METHODS
  A 66-year-old woman underwent mastectomy and axillary lymph node dissection for breast cancer. Nine years post-operatively, local metastases developed in the left axillary area (measuring 5 cm in diameter). Initially the tumor did not respond to radiation therapy and chemotherapy. Therefore, we added hyperthermia combined with them. Eight weeks later, the tumor became nearly flat and the patient noted improved activity in her daily life.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Hyperthermia may accelerate the antitumor effects of radiation therapy and chemotherapy. This treatment provides an alternative for unresectable breast cancer skin metastases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kansai Medical University, Hirakata, Japan. yamamotd@hirakata.ac.jp
authors.forename: Daigo
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Inui
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tsubota
authors.forename: Noriko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Sueoka
authors.forename: Chizuko
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Kayoko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Kuwana
authors.forename: Mitsuo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D006979:Hyperthermia, Induced; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000628:therapy*; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000556:secondary