Hyperthermia group

The benefit of Hyperthermia as an adjuvant oncological treatment modality

Hyperthermia, elevating tumor temperatures to 40-43°C, is used to sensitize tumors to maximize radiotherapy and chemotherapy efficacy as clinically proven in various randomized trials. Hyperthermia has pleiotropic effects on tumor cells, our research aims at establishing the optimal temperature, timing and sequence when combining hyperthermia with radiotherapy or chemotherapy. We also work on optimizing treatment delivery, temperature monitoring and treatment control for different tumor sites. Our efforts also engage national and international clinical research collaboration networks. Our philosophy is the strength of multidisciplinary research combining expertise from different disciplines, reflected in our research aims:

Hans Crezee

The development and optimization of clinical hyperthermia techniques

One aim is development of effective, user-friendly hyperthermia technology capable of achieving therapeutic temperatures for various tumor sites. We have developed devices and thermometry methods and applied these for different tumor locations, and are successfully commercializing our technology as an important step to promote and enable growing worldwide clinical use of hyperthermia. We also work at optimizing the clinical use of existing technology including Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) and irreversible electroporation (IRE).

Clinical studies to establish and improve the clinical benefit of hyperthermia

We aim at establishing more clinical evidence and are evaluating the clinical benefit and efficacy of combining hyperthermia with radiotherapy and/or chemotherapy for various cancers, including but not limited to breast, cervix, bladder and peritoneal metastases of colorectal origin. We do this in collaboration with key clinicians at the departments of radiation oncology, gynecology, urology, medical oncology and surgical oncology.

Fundamental research into the clinically relevant hyperthermia effects

Our preclinical studies aim to optimize the efficacy of synergistic effects of hyperthermia with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. A better understanding of the optimal temperature dose and best sequence and timing with radiotherapy, chemotherapy and immunotherapy can be utilized to improve the design of clinical devices and to modify clinical treatment schedules to maximize therapeutic synergies and improve patient outcome. For this purpose we developed advanced hyperthermia delivery methods for small animal heating, including a setup for HIPEC delivery in rodents and a miniature hyperthermia antenna array for mouse models.

Group members

Dr Hans Crezee
Jort Groen1
Timoteo Herrera1
Marloes IJff2
Pouya Namakshenas1
Paola Tello Valverde
Dr Daphne de Vries-Huizing
Fan Yang2
Yihe Zhao2
Remko Zweije
PhD vacancy1

1 co-supervised with Dr Petra Kok
2 co-supervised with Dr Arlene Oei

Key publications

Kok HP, Herrera TD, Crezee J. The Relevance of High Temperatures and Short Time Intervals Between Radiation Therapy and Hyperthermia: Insights in Terms of Predicted Equivalent Enhanced Radiation Dose. Int J Rad Oncol Biol Phys. 2023;115(4):994-1003

Löke DR, Kok HP, Helderman RFCPA, Bokan B, Franken NAP, Oei AL, Tuynman JB, Tanis PJ, Crezee J. Application of HIPEC simulations for optimizing treatment delivery strategies. Int J Hyperthermia. 2023;40(1):2218627

Bakker A, Tello Valverde CP, van Tienhoven G, Kolff MW, Kok HP, Slotman BJ, Konings IRHM, Oei AL, Oldenborg HSA, Rasch CRN, van den Bongard HJGD, Crezee H. Post-operative re-irradiation with hyperthermia in locoregional breast cancer recurrence: Temperature matters. Radiother Oncol. 2022;167:149-57

Helderman RFCPA, Löke DR, Tanis PJ, Tuynman JB, Ceelen W, de Hingh IH, van der Speeten K, Franken NAP, Oei AL, Kok HP, Crezee J. Preclinical In Vivo-Models to Investigate HIPEC; Current Methodologies and Challenges. Cancers. 2021;13:3430

Kok HP, Cressman ENK, Ceelen W, Brace CL, Ivkov R, Grüll H, ter Haar G, Wust P, Crezee J. Heating technology for malignant tumors: a review . Int J Hyperthermia. 2020;37(1):711-41.

Oei AL, Kok HP, Oei SB, Horsman MR, Stalpers LJA, Franken NAP, Crezee J. Molecular and biological rationale of hyperthermia as radio- and chemosensitizer. Adv Drug Deliv Rev. 2020;163-164:84-97

Bakker A, Kolff MW, Holman R, van Leeuwen CM, Korshuize-van Straten L, Oldenhof-de Kroon R, Rasch CR, van Tienhoven G, Crezee J. Thermal Skin Damage During Reirradiation and Hyperthermia Is Time-Temperature Dependent. Int J Rad Oncol Biol Phys. 2017;98(2):392-9

    Contact information

    h.crezee@amsterdamumc.nl

    Keywords

    Hyperthermia | Radiotherapy | Radiobiology | HIPEC | Radiosensitization | Chemosensitization