James Haim Bicher, M.D., official website

(James Bicher, MD)

After researching, working, and clinically using Hyperthermia for over 30)years, I decided to publish a website, showing my work in the Clinical Use Of Hyperthermia, combined with low dose of Radiation.

My journey started in Argentina, in 1954 when I entered the University of Buenos Aires, Medical School. My family emigrated to Israel in 1956, and I finished my studies at the M. D. Hadassah Medical School in Jerusalem.

I started researching on Hyperthermia in 1972,  Associate Professor of Anatomy and Research Medicine Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 1971 to 1973. That lead to my first publication:

1. Bicher Haim I. Blood Cell Aggregation in Thrombic Processes. Ed. W Seegers, Charles C Thomas, Springfield, 1972.

Then, as Associate Professor Pharmacology University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas, 1973 to 1976, followed my series of Oxygen Transport to Tissue:

2. Bicher Haim I, Bruley DF, (eds). Oxygen Transport to Tissue: Instrumentation, Methods and Physiology. Plenum Press, New York, 1973.

3. Bruley DF, Bicher Haim I, (eds). Oxygen Transport to Tissue: Phar­macology, Mathematical Studies and Neonatology. Plenum Press, New York, 1973.

4. Silver I, Bicher Haim I, Eherecinska M, (eds). Oxygen Transport to Tissue: III. Plenum Press, New York, 1978.

At that time I became Associate Chief  Department of Radiation Medicine, Roswell Park Memorial Institute, Buffalo, New York, 1977 to 1978

I continued my research on Hyperthermia in Henry Ford Hospital, Detroit, Michigan, 1978 to 1981, as a Director, Non‑Ionizing Radiation, Cancer Treatment Center.

In 1982 I started my clinical work on Hyperthermia in Western Tumor Medical Group, Van Nuys, California, as Hyperthermic Clinic Chef, until 1985, when I founded Valley Cancer Institute. Originally located in Panorama City, California, Valley Cancer Institute moved to Culver City, Los Angeles, California, in November 1989.

In our new facility, we have a capacity of five Hyperthermia treatment rooms, where we treat a maximum of about 30 patients a day, and a full Radiation Department, where patients receive very low doses of Radiation therapy, called Hyperfractionation.

The incorporation of IMRT, Intensity Modulated Radio Therapy, on January 2008, allows for very targeted or pinpointed application of the already low-dose-radiation, sparing healthy-normal tissue from unnecessary radiation exposure, while focusing said radiation just on the tumor area.

On January 2009, I decided to open a second Clinic on Beverly Hills: Bicher Cancer Institute.

As December 2009 we are still finalizing the remodelation and planning to move by the end of the year

My Mission

My mission, since I started researching on Hyperthermia, has been to develop a clinical protocol where Hyperthermia and low dose Radiation (Hyperfractionation) could be used with curative intent.

The accomplished results of my clinical use of Hyperthermia, combined with Radiation Hyperfractionation, can be seen in my website's practice, Valley Cancer Institute. There you can see a summary of 22 years of work, clinically using Hyperthermia, in a form of successful treatment results.

Forschung German Journal of Hyperthermia	DZO 2006; 38: 116-122 DOI: 10.1055/s-2006-952049
Karl F. Haug Verlag in MVS Medizinverlage Stuttgart GmbH & Co. KG
Thermoradiotherapy with curative intent - Breast, head, neck and prostate tumors
Ham I. Bicher, Nazar Al-Bussam

Summary

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of hyperfractionated thermoradiotherapy (HTRT) in patients suffering from early stage cancers of the breast, head and neck and prostate that refuse conventional radiation surgery or chemotherapy. Response rates and survival were determined using objective end points (MRI, MRS, PET scan and tumor markers).

Material and Methods: Fractionation used involved daily hyperthermia treatments in conjunction with each radiation fraction. Radiation daily doses are progressively decreased from 180 to 100 cGy resulting in protracted treatment time that decreases the isoeffect biological equivalent dose by 15 % to 25 %. This decrease is compensated by the increased number of hyperthermia fractions which potentiates each radiation dose. Treatment is continued until an objective complete response is attained, or failure determined. 40 breast patients, 17 head and neck and 15 prostate patients were treated with a follow up of two to five years. All patients were early stage (III-a or less).

Results: Complete response rates were 82 % for breast patients, 88 % for head and neck and 93 % for prostate patients. Projected 5 year survival rates were 80 % for breast patients, 88 % for head and neck, 87 % for prostate patients. Side effects were less than with curative radiation therapy alone. No Grade IV toxicity (Common Toxicity Criteria) was observed.

Conclusion: Protracted hyperfractionation of daily thermoradiotherapy decreases the side effects of radiation therapy, allows treating to effect using objective end point parameters, accomplishes a high percentage of complete responses and a high 5-year survival rate in the 80-90 % range in early superficial tumors. It can be considered as potentially curative in Stage I-II breast, head and neck and prostate cancer when used and researched as such.

Keywords

Cancer - head and neck - breast - prostate - hyperthermia - radiation - survival