The interplay of blood flow and temperature in regional hyperthermia: a mathematical approach.In recent decades, hyperthermia has been used to raise oxygenation levels in tumours undergoing other therapeutic modalities, of which radiotherapy is the most prominent one.  However, no test has determined whether this is a relevant assumption or other mechanisms might be acting.  Additionally, since hyperthermia and radiotherapy are not usually co-administered, the crucial question arises as to how temperature and perfusion in tumours will change during and after hyperthermia.  Here, we propose a simple mathematical model to account for temperature and perfusion dynamics in brain tumours subjected to regional hyperthermia.  Furthermore, the characteristic times of return to normal temperature levels are markedly shorter than those required to deliver adjuvant radiotherapy.  According to this, a mechanistic coupling of perfusion and temperature would not explain any major oxygenation boost in brain tumours immediately after hyperthermia.
THERM