Member News Releases

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
February 27, 2005

Northwestern Memorial participates in global trial to test effectiveness of heat therapy on cervical cancer

Doctors at Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University are testing the effectiveness of an investigational device that delivers hyperthermia, or heat therapy, to persons with locally advanced cervical cancer. Hyperthermia is a non-invasive method of increasing tumor temperature to make radiation therapy and/or chemotherapy more effective in destroying cancer cells. The American Cancer Society estimates that in 2005, about 10,370 cases of advanced cervical cancer will be diagnosed in the United States.

The research study is a two-arm phase III prospective randomized trial. Participants with invasive cervical cancer will receive either treatment with chemotherapy and radiation or treatment with chemotherapy, radiation and hyperthermia. Additional clinical trial sites are located in Holland, Norway, Italy, Germany and elsewhere in the United States.

"Various radiation and chemotherapy treatments have made a real impact in the fight against cervical cancer. Just as encouraging is prior published research, conducted over the past several years, which has demonstrated that combining existing radiation and chemotherapy programs with hyperthermia may further increase response rates and overall survival," said Dr. William Small, Jr., radiation oncologist, Northwestern Memorial Hospital and the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center; assistant professor of Radiation Oncology, Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine; and the principal investigator on the arm of the study being conducted at Northwestern. "Hyperthermia is a noninvasive regimen that has possible serious side effects, but is generally well-tolerated."

Hyperthermia sensitizes tumor cells to the effects of radiation and chemotherapy, offering improved outcomes in selected patients, compared with results in those being treated with radiation and/or chemotherapy without hyperthermia.

Various hyperthermia systems have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration to treat superficial tumors, or those within 3 centimeters of the skin (such as breast cancer). The benefits of "deep" hyperthermia as an anti-cancer modality have been documented by published research. An important study published in the April 1, 2000 issue of The Lancet demonstrated that the addition of hyperthermia to standard radiation treatment significantly increased response rates for a number of advanced tumors of the cervix, bladder and rectum. In that study, the most significant findings pertained to cervical cancer, as 83 percent of participants experienced a complete response with hyperthermia plus radiation, compared to 57 percent with radiation alone. Three-year overall survival was 51 percent in the group receiving hyperthermia and radiation, compared to 27 percent in the group receiving radiation alone.

Participants must be at least 18 years of age and have histologically confirmed carcinoma of the cervix. Those interested in participating in this clinical trial should call 312-926-8400 for more information.

About Northwestern Memorial Hospital

Northwestern Memorial Hospital is one of the country's premier academic medical centers and is the primary teaching hospital of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Northwestern Memorial and its Prentice Women's Hospital and Stone Institute of Psychiatry have 744 beds and more than 1,200 affiliated physicians and 5,000 employees. Providing state-of-the-art care, Northwestern Memorial is recognized for its outstanding clinical and surgical advancements in such areas as cardiothoracic and vascular care, gastroenterology, neurology and neurosurgery, oncology, organ and bone marrow transplantation, and women's health.

Northwestern Memorial received the prestigious 2005 National Quality Health Care Award and is listed in eight specialties in this year's U.S. News & World Report's issue of "America's Best Hospitals." The hospital is also cited as one of the "100 Best Companies for Working Mothers" by Working Mother magazine for the past 5 years and has been chosen by Chicagoans for a decade as their "most preferred hospital" in National Research Corporation's annual survey.

About the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center

First established at Northwestern University in 1974, the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center is the only Comprehensive cancer center in Illinois and one of only 40 in the nation to hold the comprehensive designation by the National Cancer Institute. It is also a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Center Network, an exclusive alliance of 19 of the nation's leading cancer centers. For more information on the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University, visit www.cancer.northwestern.edu.