Clinical Policy Bulletin: Microwave Thermotherapy for Breast Cancer

Recent clinical investigations have examined the feasibility of thermotherapy that uses focused microwaves for the treatment of primary breast cancer, based on the theory that heat could destroy microscopic carcinoma cells in the breast and reduce cancer recurrence. Heating the tumor and killing a large percentage or all of the tumor cells before surgery may improve the margins and reduce the possibility of inadvertently seeding viable cancer cells during the surgical procedure, thus reducing local recurrences in the breast. In addition, if a sufficient thermal dose is applied, thermotherapy treatment of early-stage breast cancer may destroy the tumor and completely eliminate the need for any further breast surgery or radiation therapy.