Abstract
This report details the different stages of the recently initiated Phase I clinical trial of a new modality of cancer treatment in India. The clinical trial involves the addition of hyperthermia or heat treatment to existing treatment techniques such as radiation or chemotherapy, with the aim to improving patient response. Earlier studies have showed that the combined protocols can double the patient response. The current trial involved 14 patients in a palliative mode of treatment, and the report covers the planning, organization, and carrying out of the clinical trials. Currently, the trial has been initiated at one cancer center in India, but will be extended to another center shortly. This report can be used as a base on how the hyperthermia treatment is conducted practically and also includes details about the procedure and protocol followed for hyperthermia treatment together with radiation and chemotherapy treatment. In this collaborative project, Krishna Ramya Cherukuri and Vijaya Chandra Yadav, individually contributed to the background research on hyperthermia treatment and its practical application in the clinical trial. Krishna Ramya Cherukuri did background research on hyperthermia treatment and its usage and in the selection of different kinds of equipment used in the treatment. Vijaya Chandra Yadav did research on practical clinical trials involving combined hyperthermia and radiation or chemotherapy protocols and developed recommendations regarding how the hyperthermia treatment should be implemented in India, taking into account the demographics and cancer spread in that country.