US 20030055471A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (io) Pub. No.: US 2003/0055471 Al
Fenn et al. (43) Pub. Date: Mar. 20,2003
(54) THERMOTHERAPY METHOD FOR Publication Classification
TREATMENT AND PREVENTION OF
CANCER IN MALE AND FEMALE PATIENTS (51) Int. CI.7 A61N 5/02
AND COSMETIC ABLATION OF TISSUE (52) U.S. CI 607/101; 607/102
(76) Inventors: Alan J. Fenn, Wayland, MA (US);
John Mon, Silver Spring, MD (US)
Correspondence Address:
VENABLE, BAETJER, HOWARD AND
CIVILETTI, LLP
P.O. BOX 34385
WASHINGTON, DC 20043-9998 (US)
(21) Appl. No.: 10/270,312
(22) Filed: Oct. 15, 2002
Related U.S. Application Data
(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 10/193,110, filed on Jul. 12, 2002, which is a continuation-in-part of application No. 09/548,630, filed on Apr. 13, 2000, now Pat. No. 6,470,217.
(57) ABSTRACT
A method for treating cancerous or benign conditions of a body or organ employs selective irradiation of the body tissue with energy. The method includes the steps of monitoring temperatures of the skin surface adjacent the body, positioning at least one energy applicator around the body, delivering energy to the at least one energy applicator to selectively irradiate the body tissue with energy and treat at least one of cancerous and benign conditions of the body, adjusting the level of power to be delivered to the at least one energy applicator during treatment based on the monitored skin temperatures, monitoring the energy delivered to the at least one energy applicator, determining total energy delivered to the at least one energy applicator, and completing the treatment when the desired total energy dose has been delivered by the at least one energy applicator to the body.
