# question about existing tumors

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-existing-tumors/302257>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [May 3, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-existing-tumors/302257 "2005-05-03T18:27:34Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![fortbragg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/c67d28/32.png) [@fortbragg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fortbragg)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-existing-tumors/302257/1 "2005-05-03T18:27:34Z")

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Is a tumor that is subject to slightly higher heat(say .05 degrees) apt to grow faster? Is there evidence of heat being a growth factor? If there is, kindly point me int he right direction becasue I am getting no results for this.  
Thanks

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**Author:** ![serious\_lark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@serious\_lark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/serious_lark)\
**Post date:** [May 3, 2005, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/question-about-existing-tumors/302257/2 "2005-05-03T22:04:09Z")

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Heating tumours has been shown to actually cause tumour cell death. By itself, heating is palliative, but can be combined with radiation treatment for curative potential. While lovely in theory and in vitro, getting good heating is difficult for most tumours in people, so this is considered experimental in most cancer centres. I suggest you look up the term hyperthermia.