Abstract
A treatment of cancer by the application of chemical reactions intracellularly capable of the intracellular generation of heat so as to induce selective thermal death of cancer cells in living tissue. Metabolizable minute particles of a size less than one micron are intravenously injected into the patient and absorbed by the cancer cells. The oxygen level of the patient's blood is then increased. The rate of intracellular chemical reaction in the cancer cells due at least in part to the intracellular presence of these minute particles is thereby increased and intracellular heat generated. The oxygen level is increased until the intracellular temperature has increased at least 8.0 degrees Centigrade but not more than 9.5 degrees Centigrade thereby selectively killing the cancer cells without damaging the normal cells.
Filing date: May 24, 1983
Issue date: Feb 11, 1986
Inventor: Robert T. Gordon
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What is claimed is:
1. A process for the treatment of cancer cells in living tissue of a patient comprising the following steps:
- introducing into the living tissue of the patient minute particles of a size not greater than one micron and capable of being metabolized by the cancer cells and capable of an increased rate of metabolism or oxidation by the increased availability of oxygen,
- absorbing said minute particles intracellularly into the cancer cells, thereafter, increasing the oxygen level of the blood of the patient, and thereby increasing the rate of intracellular chemical reaction in the cancer cells due at least in part to the intracellular presence of said minute particles, and generating intracellular heat therein, and
- continuing said increasing the oxygen level step until the intracellular temperature has increased at least 8.0 degrees Centigrade but not more than 9.5 degrees Centigrade to selectively induce thermal death of the cancer cells.
2. The process of claim 1 including,
- said increasing the oxygen level step including subjecting the patient to hyperbaric air.
3. The process of claim 1 including,
- said increasing the oxygen level step including subjecting the patient to hyperbaric oxygen.
4. The process of claim 1 including,
- said increasing the oxygen level step including increasing the levels of 2,3-Diphosphoglycerate in the body to enhance the availability of the oxygen to the cells and thereby increasing the metabolism in the cells.
5. The process of claim 1 including,
- said increasing the oxygen level step including introducing phosphates into the patient to increase the availability of oxygen to the cells and thereby increasing intracellular metabolism.
6. The process of claim 5 including,
- said increasing the oxygen level step including subjecting the patient to hyperbaric oxygen.
7. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles comprising a compound which can be further oxidized.
8. The process of claim 7 including,
- said compound being ferric oxyhydroxide, ferric hydroxide, iron carbonate, or iron citrate.
9. The process of claim 1 including,
- said introducing step including intravenously injecting into the patient said minute particles.
10. The process of claim 1 including,
- said introducing step including intravenously injecting into the patient said minute particles suspended in a liquid vehicle.
11. The process of claim 10 including,
- said minute particles being integrated with a sugar molecule.
12. the process of claim 11 including,
- said sugar molecule being dextrose, dextran, glucose or sucrose.
13. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles being bound to radioisotopes.
14. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles being bound to cancer antibodies.
15. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles comprising minute encapsulated chemotherapeutic agent particles.
16. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles comprising minute integrated chemotherapeutic agent particles.
17. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles comprising radioisotopes, and
- said absorbing step including said radioisotopes being absorbed selectively in said cancer cells.
18. The process of claim 17 including,
- said radioisotopes being gallium-67, indium-113m, technetium-99m, fluorine, or selenium-75.
19. The process of claim 1 including,
- said introducing step including introducing a cancer cell seeking agent in a concentration sufficient to combine with and selectively direct said minute particles to the cancer cells.
20. The process of claim 19 including,
- said cancer cell seeking agent being a radioisotope.
21. The process of claim 20 including,
- said radioisotope being gallium-67, indium-113m, technetium-99m, fluorine or selenium-75.
22. The process of claim 19 including,
- said cancer cell seeking agent being a tumor specific cancer antibody.
23. The process of claim 1 including,
- said minute particles including a chemotherapeutic agent specific for treating cancer and a coating around said chemotherapeutic agent.
24. The process of claim 23 including,
- said chemotherapeutic agent being 5-flurouracil, nitrogen mustard, actinomycin-D, methotrexate, cytoxan, or vincristine.
25. The process of claim 23 including,
- removing said coating from said chemotherapeutic agent, after said absorbing step.
26. The process of claim 15 including,
- said removing step including subjecting said minute particles to an increased oxygen supply.
27. The process of claim 23 including,
- said increasing the oxygen level step including removing said coating from said chemotherapeutic agent, after said absorbing step.
28. A process for the treatment of cancer cells in living tissue of a patient comprising the following steps:
- introducing into the living tissue of the patient minute particles of a total size not greater than one micron, capable of metabolizing and of reacting with another chemical, and having a chemotherapeutic agent and an agent coating solubilizable after a period of time by the cytoplasm of the cancer cell,
- depositing said minute particles intracellularly into the cancer cells, after said introducing step, and
- at least said period of time after said depositing step, solubilizing said coating and absorbing said chemotherapeutic agent in the cancer cells resulting in their death.
29. The process of claim 28 including,
- said chemotherapeutic agent being nitrogen mustard, antinomycin D, methotrexate, 5-flurouracil, cytoxan, or vincristine, and
- said coating comprising an iron dextran complex material.
30. The process of claim 29 including,
- after said depositing step before said period of time has passed, subjecting said minute particles to an increased oxygen supply to remove said coating.