ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the treatment of carcinoma of the prostate by local hyperthermia, alone or in combination with ionizing radiation or hormonal therapy, and the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) by hyperthermia alone. Prostatic carcinoma is a relatively slow-growing tumor, thus only a small proportion of the tumor cells are at the division stage at any particular time. The fact that prostatic carcinoma does not respond to heat alone as does BPH adds to the controversy regarding the relationship between BPH and carcinoma of the prostate. Modalities designed to treat the disease and to palliate symptoms include radical prostatectomy, radiotherapy, hormone manipulation, and chemotherapy. Surgical exposure of the prostate was needed to apply heat to a volume of tissue which was destroyed by intense localized microwave energy in a manner similar to cryosurgery. The stage of deep-seated tumor clinical hyperthermia technology does not warrant complete avoidance of heating at unwanted, noninvaded, unmonitored sites.
