New fever therapy as a cancer therapy in focus again

Forgotten knowledge meets modern medicine

The fever therapy was used against cancer more than 150 years ago. At that time, this method caused a sensation by amazing healing success, but also failures were recorded. Irradiation and chemotherapy made this treatment method forgotten. Until recently, it was unclear what was behind this therapy. Is it forgotten knowledge or charlatanism? Scientists studied this old method of treatment - with amazing results.

As it has not been possible to control the cancer even 150 years later, researchers turned back to the role of the immune system in cancer again. A modified form of fever therapy, the so-called PAMP therapy, should now build on the successes of "forgotten" fever therapy and eradicate their failures. In a study, the scientists around Professor Uwe Hobohm from the TH Mittelhessenum recently show that this therapy is very safe. The study results were published on the scientific platform "Translational Oncology".

The old fever therapy provided in the past for spectacular spontaneous cures for cancer, fell into oblivion and comes now as PAMP therapy back into conversation. (Image: Elnur / fotolia.com)

People do not want to believe that

"When people hear about cancer therapy that is effective and cheap at the same time, they hardly want to believe it," says Professor Dr. Uwe Hobohm from the TH Mittelhessen in a press release. He was instrumental in the study. Treatment with fever has led to spectacular healings over 100 years ago. Radiation and chemotherapy have largely forgotten her. He tested together with other doctors and clinics again the PAMP therapy and this provided good results.

Cure cancer through infections

According to Hobohm, the rare spontaneous cures in cancer are almost always related to a previous violent infection. The scientist wanted to get to the bottom of this phenomenon. Hundreds of documented cases from the past, which reported the healing effects of the therapy, served as the basis. For example, sarcoma (connective tissue cancer) showed a five-year survival rate of 80 percent. Complete cures for pancreatic cancer have also been reported.

New knowledge revised

Hobohm revised the Fieberbehandlung after new scientific findings and brought so the PAMP therapy (pathogen-associated molecular pattern) again into the discussion. The underlying substances are produced in the human body exclusively by pathogenic germs. However, these usually do not occur in cancer patients. These PAMP substances trigger the highest alarm in the immune system. Hobohm realized that the substances mobilized by infections can contribute to spontaneous healing and also reduce the risk of cancer.

PAMP hypothesis supported by scientific studies

The researchers were able to base their findings on published studies. Thus, in animal experiments mice could be cured with tumors by the animals a PAMP cocktail was administered. According to Hobohm's hypothesis, the PAMP substances enhance an existing but too weak immune response against cancer cells. According to the scientist, the protective effect derives from the fact that the PAMP effect destroys cancer precursor cells.

Treatment then and now

During the then fever therapy, the patient was given bacterial extracts for several weeks, which caused fever. However, these extracts are no longer approved as a drug. Instead of bacterial extracts, the current studies have used approved drugs that contain bacterial or viral components and cause fever as a common side effect. These must be taken over a period of at least five weeks. So a long-lasting immune stimulation should be generated.

Simple and inexpensive implementation

If this treatment concept establishes itself as an alternative cancer therapy, every family practice with a rest room could carry out the therapy. Patients receive a one-hour infusion and are then monitored until the fever subsides. For additional treatment during or after radiation or chemotherapy, PAMP treatment is not suitable. The scientists of the study, however, do not consider a simultaneous hormone administration in breast cancer or prostate cancer. (Vb)