LUNG CANCER HYPERTHERMIA VIA ULTRASOUND AND/OR CONVECTION WITH PERFLUOROCARBON LIQUIDS

摘要

A hyperthermic treatment of lung cancer, by temporarily filling with a liquid medium preselected pulmonary air passages adjoining pulmonary tissues containing malignant cells, circulating exogenously heated liquid medium at from about 41 DEG to about 50 DEG C. through the liquid-filled pulmonary air passages, and thereafter removing the liquid medium. The liquid medium may be a perfluorocarbon liquid or physiological saline solution. Suitable perfluorocarbon liquids having the requisite physical and thermal properties are characterized by an average molecular weight in the range of from about 350 to about 560. Representative perfluorocarbon liquids are FC-84, FC-72, RM-82, FC-75, RM-101, and perfluorodecalin. Also, a hyperthermic treatment of lung cancer using ultrasound, by temporarily filling with a liquid medium preselected pulmonary air passages adjoining pulmonary tissues containing malignant cells, heating the adjoining pulmonary tissues to a temperature in the range of from about 41 DEG to about 50 DEG C. by transmitting ultrasound through the liquid-filled pulmonary air passages, and thereafter removing the liquid medium. Perfluorocarbon liquids having the requisite physical, thermal, and acoustic properties for this ultrasound treatment are characterized by an average molecular weight in the range of from about 400 to about 500. Also, liquid infusion and isolation catheters, intracavitary ultrasound applicators, and intercostal ultrasound applicators for the disclosed convection and/or ultrasound hyperthermia treatments of lung cancer. Also, the invention provides for the pulmonary administration of biological agents via liquid lavage/ventilation.