Metabolic Status and Reaction to Heat of Normal and Tumor Tissue

The occurrence of differential heating and differential thermal sensitivity between malignant tumors and normal tissues is thought to be due to limited heat dissipation and energy depletion in many solid tumors which in turn results from an inadequately functioning tumor microcirculation (Jain and Ward-Hartley 1984; Song 1984, 1991; Vaupel and Kallinowski 1987; Reinhold 1988; Vaupel et al. 1988a; Vaupel 1990). As a consequence of the latter pathophysiological condition, supply and drainage function are restricted in many solid tumors or, at least, in some tumor areas, thus creating a hostile metabolic microenvironment characterized by tissue hypoxia, acidosis, and energy depletion. Thermal …