Let’s be clear before we get started on this somewhat controversial topic, it must be stated conclusively and clearly that saunas are not a cancer cure. They do not cure cancer, in any patient, regardless of what one’s own personal experience or anecdotal evidence may be. It would be irresponsible for us to claim anything of the sort.
This aside, there is some evidence suggesting saunas can help in the fight against certain cancers in addition to other medications or treatments one may be on. Let’s take a quick look through some of the evidence available, supporting the connection between saunas and cancer.
‘Hyperthermia’ is the condition of having a body temperature higher than normal. A study from 2014 looking at hyperthermia demonstrated how it can cause cell death in some patients, successfully killing normal and tumor cells without harming normal cells. This is believed to come from a phenomenon known as ‘differential stress resistance’, which as you may have predicted in the name allows our normal cells to adapt to stress whereas cancer cells cannot.
Some cells, including cancer cells have high acidity and low pH which makes them more susceptible to heat due to insufficient blood flow. In radiation and chemotherapy, one is weakening these cells and killing them off. In many cancer treatments, hyperthermia is added with radiation or chemotherapy as multiple studies have shown heat enhances the effects. Thereby, assuming one became an avid sauna user which would involve 4-7 sessions a week, arguably this could further enhance the impact of radiation and chemotherapy.
Even hyperthermia without any sort of medical intervention such as chemotherapy has been shown to have a response rate of 13% across several cancers. In fact, clinical trials analyzing hyperthermia added to radiation and/or chemotherapy found improvements up to 50% in response rates, tumor control, and survival rate. Since one can achieve hyperthermia from a sauna, there’s a lot of promising researching being done on possibly combining saunas with chemotherapy or radiation.
Some of the cancers that have been shown to be responsive to hyperthermia added to other cancer treatments, and where “significantly improved outcomes” have been demonstrated, include cancers in the head and neck, brain, breast, bladder, cervix, rectum, lung, esophagus, vulva and vagina, as well as for melanoma. If you have found yourself with any of these, discuss with a doctor the potential of using a saunas specifically to induce hyperthermia’s effects of death to the cancer cells.
In discussing hyperthermia, one must also acknowledge the presence of FOX family proteins, otherwise referred to as FOXO3. These proteins play a strong role in tumor suppressor and we know sauna use increases FOXO3, which understandably would lead some to further support the application of a sauna in cancer treatment.
Now again, this article is just a summation of the existing research on this matter. It should not be taken as medical advice nor do we recommend a sauna as a substitute for a physical. Always follow your physician’s recommendations and ensure any treatment you do is under their supervision. Trying to self-treat can have consequences. Check with your doctor, regardless of whether you are working with cancer or another illness. In some patients, what you’ve read has worked and produced the aforementioned results. Ultimately, if you believe it could be right for you, consult with your doctor first.