Cooling and heating before breast cancer surgery inhibits metastasis and improves the postoperative immune response

Abstract

Objective To study the effect of cold and heat treatment on metastasis and the peripheral blood immune response in patients with breast cancer. Methods A total of 124 breast cancer patients were randomly divided into a hot and cold therapy group and a control group, each of 62. Both groups were given conventional surgical resections, and the hot and cold therapy group was given cooling and heating physical therapy for one month before the operation. The efficacy of the treatment and the patients' spiritual state were compared after the treatment. The effect on lung metastases was evaluated using tomographic images of the chest, and the changes in immune cell levels in the peripheral blood were detected using flow cytometry. Results After the treatment, the remission rate (54.8%), spiritual life ratings on the Karnofsky scale and the area of lung cancer nodule transfer were significantly better in the hot and cold therapy group than in the control group. Twelve weeks after the treatment, the percentage of MDSCs in the control group patients was 72.5%, significantly higher than the 5.3% of the therapy group. The CD4+ and CD8+ T cells were 2.2% and 1.8%, significantly lower than the 26.7% and 13.9% of the control group. Conclusion Cold and hot therapy before a mastectomy can effectively inhibit the metastasis of breast cancer and promote patients' physical rehabilitation and spiritual life. It may regulate the microenvironment of their immunosuppression and stimulate antitumor immunity. Key words: Cooling; Heating; Breast cancer; Immune response; Lungs; Metastasis