Last week I wrote about how America helped introduce the use of hyperthermia...and then failed to adopt its use in a widespread way. America innovates well, but frequently drops the ball when it comes to implementation. For example, on September 15, 2009, New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman wrote a perceptive column on how one American company had invented new machinery to manufacture solar energy panels. The company now has 14 factories around the world, including five in Germany and four in China. But none are in the USA, where the company is based. "Invented here, sold there," is America's slogan, says Friedman. Germany, in particular, generates almost half the renewable energy in the world and is making itself the "world-center for solar research, engineering, manufacturing and installation." This has added 50,000 new German jobs, making renewable energy its second largest industry after auto. (I saw solar panels on south-facing roofs everywhere I traveled in Germany.)

I would suggest that the same thing is happening with hyperthermia. Americans have figured out how to pair the BSD's hyperthermia equipment to GE Healthcare 1.5 Tesla magnetic resonance (MR) imaging system for precise hyperthermic targeting of tumors. A prototype was recently installed at Duke University School of Medicine in North Carolina. This can be electronically focused to target the three-dimensional shape, size, and location of the tumor and provide a dynamic form of control over the heat delivery. Good for Duke! Such systems will no doubt become the wave of the future. But let me make a prediction. Do not expect to see such devices coming to a typical American cancer center any time soon. If you want to have a reasonable chance of adding hyperthermia to your own treatment program you will still have to go to Germany, China or some other country that welcomes innovation. "Invented here, sold there" is America's rule in complementary medicine as well.

--Ralph W. Moss, Ph.D.

References:

Friedman, Thomas L. Have a nice day. New York Times, September 19, 2009.

LeVeen HH, Wapnick S, Piccone V, Falk G, Ahmed Nafis. Tumor eradication by radiofrequency therapy. Responses in 21 patients. JAMA. 1976;235:2198-200.

BSD Medical's Web site is http://www.bsdmedical.com

To check out my latest Current Topic report, 'German New Medicine®'-Hope or Hoax, click here.

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