Hyperthermia therapy is a type of
medical treatment in which
body tissue is exposed to slightly higher
temperatures to damage and kill
cancer cells or to make cancer cells more sensitive to the effects of
radiation and certain
anti-cancer drugs. Techniques that may bring local tissues to quite high temperatures, such as radio frequency ablation, are not usually what is meant by "hyperthermia." When combined with
radiation therapy, it is called
thermoradiotherapy. Whole-body hyperthermia has also been found to be helpful for depression. It is also used in the treatment of
Lyme disease.