The joint 5th Asian Congress of Hyperthermic Oncology (ACHO) and the 27th Japanese Congress of Thermal Medicine (JCTM)

Symposium 1 (In Japanese)

Social Problems of Hyperthermic Therapy and Their Solutions

Hyperthermic therapy was officially included in the coverage by Japan's national health insurance scheme in 1990. However, it has not yet been revised and the coverage is described very vaguely as "one claim that allowed for a series of treatments." Moreover, thermal therapy was reported as an alternative therapy for cancers by the mass media last year, generating misunderstanding among the general public. The Japanese Society for Thermal Medicine subsequently submitted an official complaint against such untruthful media reporting. We also face mounting issues other than the above, such as the low diffusion rate, the lack of staff education, and the absence of a qualification system.
In this symposium, we will present the social problems surrounding hyperthermic therapy and discuss their possible solutions, to clarify the directions the JSTM should take in the future.

Symposium 2 (In English)

Thermal Medicine in the 21^st Century

In recent years, many new frontiers for cancer treatment have been explored, including the development of new anticancer drugs and drug delivery systems, and the clinical application of molecularly targeted treatments. It is believed that hyperthermic therapy has become an important pillar when used in combination with any of the above multidisciplinary treatments. Moreover, expectations are high as regards the potential of using thermal medicine to treat malignant tumors, including not only conventional hyperthermia (42 to 44°C), but also mild hyperthermia (40 to 41.5°C) that produces a sensitization effect to radiation and anticancer drug therapies, cryotherapy (0°C or below), and microwave and HIFU (high-intensity focused ultrasound) for cauterization (60 to 100°C), which are much talked about recently.
We hope that the participants will actively discuss such clinical attempts that will play a part of thermal medicine in the future at the symposium, the main theme of which is "Thermal Medicine: Opening the Door to the 21^st Century."

Workshop 1 (In English)

Thermal Medicine: From Bench to Bed

Thermal medicine has few adverse effects and high success rates in the clinical setting, and has been recently thrust into the spotlight as the treatment of choice following surgery, radiation, and anticancer drug therapies. However, despite a number of studies from many different angles of the direct effects of thermal medicine and its sensitization effect on radiation and anticancer drug therapies, the mechanism of the said effects has not been elucidated. Recently, there have been important advances in the field of cancer therapy fueled by new anticancer drugs and molecularly targeted treatments. However, there are few reported cases of the use of such therapies in combination with thermal medicine.
The aim of this workshop is to present studies that will help accumulate evidence to support thermal medicine and lead to its clinical applications, such as an explanation of the mechanism of the effects of thermal medicine and promising treatments that can be used in combination with thermal medicine.

Workshop 2 (In English)

State-of-the-Art Heating and Thermometric Technologies

In order to perform appropriate and effective thermal therapy, the focal site must be heated and the temperature measured precisely. There have been many scientific and engineering discussions on this aspect. In addition to the conventional RF induction heating and microwave heating, selective heating using magnetic material, supersonic heating, and far-infrared heating have been developed, and some have been put to practical use. Meanwhile, non-invasive thermal distribution imaging technologies, including magnetic resonance imaging, have been developed and at the same time, there have been notable advances in heating simulation technologies.
This workshop will serve as a venue for participants to grasp the current status of development of heating and thermometric technologies from various points of view.

Workshop 3 （Educational Workshop) (In Japanese)

Hyperthermic Therapy based on Oncology Team

The overall condition of a cancer patient is complex and treatment methods and options vary. If the cancer is in the advanced stage, palliative care becomes necessary to improve the physical, psychosocial, and spiritual well-being of the patient. Many patients who require hyperthermic therapy are advanced cancer patients, and an oncology team consisting of specialists, nurses, technicians, and pharmacists is vital.
In this workshop, we hope that various teams at different institutions will introduce the effective use of hyperthermic therapy and their undertakings and practices for the palliative and other patient care.