Response of human tumor blood flow to local hyperthermia.

The effect of heat on blood flow in human tumors was studied as a function of time during 1 hour of local hyperthermia induced by 915 MHz microwaves. Blood flow was determined from the rate of thermal clearance by use of the bio-heat transfer equation. The rate of thermal clearance was measured at intervals of approximately 10 minutes throughout the treatment session by turning off the microwave power for 50 seconds. Tumor blood flow increased by amounts varying from 15 to 250% during the first 20-50 minutes of heating at 41-45 degrees C, after which it remained relatively constant during the remainder of the treatment session. The sharp reduction in blood flow or vascular stasis reported in most transplantable rodent tumors after comparable heating was not observed in human tumors. The maximum blood flow observed in heated human tumors ranged from 10-40 ml/min/100 gm. The systematic error due to thermal conduction was estimated to be equivalent to a blood flow of less than 3 ml/min/100 gm.