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Hyperthermia therapy for cancer

Guest Editors

Arlene Oei, PhD, Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands
Tan Hwei Ching Grace, MBBS, MRCS, MMED, FRCS, Melissa Teo Surgery and The Surgical Oncology Clinic, Singapore

BMC Cancer has published this Collection on Hyperthermia therapy for cancer. We invited contributions focused on its application with established treatments, such as chemotherapy and radiation. Additionally, we encouraged studies that investigate innovative heat delivery methods, overcome biological barriers, and explore the integration of hyperthermia with therapies such as immunotherapy.

New Content ItemThis Collection supports and amplifies research related to SDG 3: Good Health & Well-being.

Meet the Guest Editors

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Arlene Oei, PhD, Amsterdam University Medical Center, The Netherlands

Dr Arlene Leonie Oei received her bachelor's degree in Biomedical Sciences at the Free University of Brussels (VUB) and obtained her master's degree in Biomedical Sciences at the Radboud University Nijmegen. Afterwards she continued her work as a PhD student at the Amsterdam Medical Center (AMC). During her PhD training, she unraveled mechanisms underlying how hyperthermia and other agents sensitize tumor cells to radiotherapy. She successfully defended her doctoral thesis in 2017, and Arlene took the opportunity to perform a post-doc training at the Johns Hopkins University, where she expanded her experience in hyperthermia by exploring nanoparticle heating and studied the effectiveness on targeting the tumor-microenvironment by adding immunotherapy to thermal radiation. In 2018, she returned to the AMC in Amsterdam, to fulfill the position as head of Radiobiology/Hyperthermia research. Arlene is at present assistant professor, and the research of her group focuses on translational research of sensitivity to hyperthermia, radiotherapy, chemotherapy, immunotherapy and HIPEC, in different tumor types such as cervical cancer, peritoneal metastases from colorectal or ovarian cancer, breast cancer and prostate cancer.

Tan Hwei Ching Grace, MBBS, MRCS, MMED, FRCS, Melissa Teo Surgery and The Surgical Oncology Clinic, Singapore

Dr Grace Tan is a general surgeon and surgical oncologist with special interest in gastrointestinal cancers (colorectal, stomach, esophagus), peritoneal and pelvic malignancy, melanoma and sarcoma. She graduated from University of London, UK, and returned to Singapore to complete her general surgery and surgical oncology training at Singapore General Hospital and the National Cancer Centre Singapore (NCCS). She subsequently went on to complete her subspecialty training in Cytoreductive Surgery (CRS) and Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) at the renowned NHS Peritoneal Malignancy Unit in Basingstoke, UK.

She has co-authored over 80 research papers that were published in many international journals and in recognition of her significant contributions to cancer care, Dr Tan has been awarded many awards including RISE awards for outstanding faculty, Editor’s Award for significant contribution by an investigator by the International Journal of Hyperthermia, and the Singapore Health Quality Service Gold Award.

About the Collection

Hyperthermia uses heat, often radiofrequency, ultrasound, microwaves, or lasers, to target cancer cells. Used as an adjuvant to radiotherapy or chemotherapy to treat cancer, its elevated temperatures enhance the effectiveness of conventional cancer therapies by sensitizing cancer cells to radiation and chemotherapy while minimizing damage to healthy tissues. By doing so, its mechanisms alter tumor microenvironments, improve drug delivery, and induce cytotoxic effects on cancer cells, fostering a multifaceted approach towards combating malignancies.

This BMC Cancer Collection explores diverse aspects of hyperthermia in cancer treatment. Topics of interest for this Collection included:

  • Mechanisms of hyperthermia-induced cytotoxicity
  • Hyperthermia in combination with radiation or chemotherapy
  • Novel approaches for precise heat delivery to tumors
  • Immunomodulatory effects of hyperthermia in cancer treatment
  • Clinical trials and outcomes assessing hyperthermia's efficacy
  • Technological advancements in hyperthermia treatment modalities
  • Computational modeling for predicting hyperthermia treatment responses


Image credit: Mopic / stock.adobe.com

  1. Malignant peritoneal mesothelioma (MPM) is a rare but aggressive cancer. Cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) was the preferred choice for selected patients. The pu...

    Authors: Zhang Xinjing, Gong Lei, Li Xinbao, Ji Zhonghe, Yang Zhiran, Gao Chao, Zhang Kai, Yan Lijun, Yan Guojun, Yu Junhui, Zhang Yanbin and An Songlin
    Citation: BMC Cancer 2025 25:270
    Content type: Research Published on:

Submission Guidelines

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This Collection welcomes submission of original research and study protocols. Should you wish to submit a different article type, please read our submission guidelines to confirm that type is accepted by the journal. Articles for this Collection should be submitted via our submission system, Snapp. During the submission process you will be asked whether you are submitting to a Collection, please select Hyperthermia therapy for cancer from the dropdown menu.

Articles will undergo the journal’s standard peer-review process and are subject to all of the journal’s standard policies. Articles will be added to the Collection as they are published.

The Editors have no competing interests with the submissions which they handle through the peer review process. The peer review of any submissions for which the Editors have competing interests is handled by another Editorial Board Member who has no competing interests.