Survival Difference in Advanced-Stage Cervical and Ovarian Cancer Patients Treated with Concomitant Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia in Comparison to Classic Treatment Modalities - Results of a Pilot Study and Meta-Analysis

Sep 23, 2026

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Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is presented as a recent advance in oncological hyperthermia, with prior studies suggesting safety and efficacy, yet lacking meta-analytic synthesis for cervical or ovarian cancer. A single-institute pilot case series and meta-analysis were performed on advanced-stage cervical and ovarian cancer. Meta-analysis identified five studies totaling 160 cervical and 31 ovarian patients, and 175 standard-of-care cervical controls for comparison.

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Article Survival Difference in Advanced-Stage Cervical and Ovarian Cancer Patients Treated with Concomitant Modulated Electro-Hyperthermia in Comparison to Classic Treatment Modalities: Results of a Pilot Study and Meta-Analysis Ivan Panczel 1,2, Magdolna Herold 1,2,3, Erika Borbenyi 1, Daniel Horanyi 2, Zoltan Novak 2, Magdolna Dank 1,2,3, Attila Marcell Szasz 1,3,* and Zoltan Herold 1,2,3 Academic Editor: KonstantinosDimas 1 Division of Oncology, Department of Internal Medicine and Oncology, Semmelweis University, H-1083 Budapest, Hungary 2 National Institute of Oncology, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary 3 Department of Clinical Oncology, Semmelweis University, H-1122 Budapest, Hungary * Correspondence: [szasz.attila.marcell@semmelweis.hu](szasz.attila.marcell@semmelweis.hu); Tel.: +36-1-459-1500 Abstract Background: Modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) is one of the latest advancementsin the field of oncological hyperthermia. Previous studies investigating mEHT revealed that it is safe and effective; however, no meta-analysis was conducted either in cervical or ovarian cancer. Methods: A single-institute pilot case series and a meta-analysis were conducted. Advanced stage cervical and ovarian cancer cases were included. In the pilot study, mEHT treatments were conducted using the Oncotherm EHY-2000+ and the EHY-2030 devices with 2–3 treatment sessions per week. Results: For the meta-analysis, a total of five studies were identified, with 160 and 31 cervical and ovarian cancer patients, respectively. In addition, 175 standard-of-care-treated cervical cancer patients were also identified as controls. The 1-and 2-year survival rate of the cervical cancer patients treated with mEHT was 87.61%[95% confidence interval (CI): 71.31–100%] and 78.13%(95% CI: 53.02–100%) . Compared to the controls, the 2-year survival rates (78.13% vs. 58.86%) were significantly better in the mEHT-treated cohorts (odds ratio: 0.4143, p = 0.0441; hazard rate: 0.6607, p = 0.0103) . The 1-and 2-year survival rates of ovarian cancer patients were 45.46%(95% CI: 5.97–84.95%) and 32.83%(95% CI: 0–79.57%), respectively. The result of our institutional data strengthened the results of the meta-analysis. Conclusions: Using mEHT, a significantly higher 2-year survival rate can be achieved in cervical cancer. In this setting, a wider testing/application of the modality is warranted. In the case of ovarian tumors, the available knowledge is minimal, and applicability and efficacy studies are urgently needed. Keywords: cervical cancer; concomitant therapy; modulated electro-hyperthermia; ovarian Received: 7 January 2026 Revised: 11 February 2026 Accepted: 19 February 2026 Published: 22 February 2026 Copyright: © 2026 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license. cancer; meta-analysis 1. Introduction Cervical and ovarian malignancies are one of the most frequent cancers arising in women. In 2022, 986,904 new cases emerged, and more than 555,830 deaths occurred worldwide [1] . Despite the major advancements in treatments, the overall survival and patient outlook for these malignancies is still extremely poor, with a 5-year overall survival of 10–40%[2] . This in part is due to the lack of symptoms and limited diagnostic tools to detect malignancies at early stages. Treatment options in advanced-stage diseases include chemo(radio)therapy and hormonal therapies. Moreover, in recent years, various new treatment options also emerged, including but not limited to immunotherapy, targeted gene therapy and hyperthermic methods [3,4] . In oncology, concomitant hyperthermia is the artificial raising of the temperature of the tumor and its surrounding to 39–42 ◦ C using full-body or regional heating methods [5] . One of the latest advancements in the field is modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) . It relie

FAQs

What is modulated electro-hyperthermia (mEHT) and how does it work?

mEHT uses a capacitive coupled impedance matched approach where a 13.56 MHz radiofrequency current is conducted through the target. It can induce local hyperthermia and trigger cellular processes that support immune activation through DAMPs, with an abscopal systemic effect.

How was mEHT evaluated in cervical and ovarian cancer patients?

The study combined a single-institute pilot case series with a meta-analysis. Advanced-stage cervical and ovarian cancer cases were included, with pilot treatments using Oncotherm EHY-2000+ and EHY-2030 devices.

What survival differences were reported for cervical cancer treated with mEHT compared with classic standard care?

Meta-analysis showed improved 2-year survival in mEHT-treated cervical cancer cohorts versus controls (78.13% vs 58.86%), with reported odds ratio and p-values indicating statistical significance. The 1- and 2-year survival rates were also reported with confidence intervals.

Sep 23, 2026

Uploaded by James