Determination of human skin pain threshold using 27 MHz radiofrequency heating

The success or failure of any cancer treatment depends on the respective dose received by tumour and by critical normal tissues. Clinical studies define safety standards for the most sensitive normal tissue and these allow clinicians to protect their patients whilst comparing different treatment techniques.Safety standards may preclude the use of otherwise valuable techniques. Patients receiving externally applied hyperthermia without general anaesthetic may experience pain. Skin remains the most sensitive organ despite attempts to reduce heat dose to the skin by surface coiling, since the site likely to absorb most power and which requires most cooling is unpredictable, particularly in non-planar areas like the axilla and perineum.