Mayo Clinic collaborated with New Phase Ltd. to install the first magnetic nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia machine for cancer research in the U.S. Hyperthermia is a procedure that uses heat to damage and kill cancer cells. The investigational machine will support research evaluating the safety, feasibility and potential effectiveness of this approach in cancer treatment.
We have known for more than a century that temperature is the Achilles' heel of cancer, but conventional hyperthermia has limitations and is not widely available. The hyperthermia technology we've installed is still investigational but may enable us to harness heat in a novel way for advanced cancers, and we're grateful to be the first to use it in our research."
Scott Lester, M.D., radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic
The investigational hyperthermia machine is an electromagnetic induction system that targets the torso. Doctors first administer iron oxide-containing magnetic nanoparticles through an IV, allowing them to collect in tumors. The care team then positions the patient in the machine, where electromagnetic waves heat the tumors to help destroy cancer cells.
"It works like an induction cooktop," Dr. Lester explains. Induction cooktops require special pans to interact with the device. Instead of pans, the tumor absorbs the nanoparticles, effectively turning it into an induction pan. When alternating magnetic fields pulse the pan, it creates heat. A special coating on the nanoparticles limits the temperature to no more than 50 degrees Celsius. The care team also places cooling blankets on patients to keep their body temperature from rising too high and monitors them closely. The hope is that this controlled heating can damage the tumor to slow or stop its growth.
New Phase Ltd. manufactures both the hyperthermia machine and the nanoparticles. Mayo Clinic installed the machine within the Radiation Oncology Department in the Jacobson Building at Mayo Clinic in Rochester. The team completed the installation in November 2025. The first U.S. patient then received hyperthermia as part of a clinical trial in December 2025.
In the clinical trial, researchers are administering the investigational therapy to metastatic solid tumors in any body area except the brain. The investigational therapy can be administered to multiple tumors simultaneously and to cancers that are deep in the body. "We are focusing on patients whose cancers are resistant to multiple lines of systemic therapies and other advanced treatments, including radiotherapy," says Sean Park, M.D., Ph.D., radiation oncologist at Mayo Clinic Comprehensive Cancer Center and co-principal investigator of the trial with Dr. Lester.
"Science has taught us that hyperthermia may be the ultimate sidekick for these treatments," Dr. Lester adds. "We aim for hyperthermia to be the fourth leg of cancer treatment, giving us a different angle to attack cancer and help patients." Researchers also plan to study hyperthermia in combination with other treatments, such as radiation. Combination therapy could allow for lower radiation doses with the same effectiveness or improve outcomes in radiation-resistant tumors.
"The research collaboration between New Phase Ltd. and Mayo Clinic aims to open new treatment possibilities for metastatic cancer patients who currently have limited options," says Ofer Shalev, CEO and co-founder of New Phase Ltd.
Twenty years ago, Mayo Clinic radiation oncologists used ultrasound to heat water-filled bags that were placed on patients' skin, often on the chest wall of women who had recurrent breast cancer after surgery and radiation. "We added the heat to enhance the effects of radiation, and there were times it was very successful," says Nadia Laack, M.D., chair of Radiation Oncology at Mayo Clinic. However, the water bag temperature was unreliable, and patients could experience pain, causing the technique to fall out of favor. Other studies showing the benefits of hyperthermia combined with radiation were also limited by technological constraints.
"Now, we may have a more advanced method to reintroduce hyperthermia into cancer therapy," Dr. Laack says. "If we can demonstrate its effectiveness, we can make hyperthermia more widely available to help patients with complex cancers."
Prior abortion or miscarriage not linked to increased risk of pre- or postmenopausal breast cancer