Apparatus for thermal therapy treatment of a selected region of the body of a human or of an animal and method of operating said apparatus

A method of treating or preventing chemotherapy induced polyneuropathy (CIPN) in a patient receiving chemotherapy treatment, the method comprising:

• providing thermal therapy to a selected region of a body of the patient, the thermal therapy being delivered using a thermal therapy device, the thermal therapy device comprising:
• a heat transfer unit provided to be brought into contact with the selected region of the body, the heat transfer unit being configured to receive a temperature control fluid;
• a pressure device configured to generate, or to increase, a contact pressure of the heat transfer unit on the selected region of the body, to improve thermal transfer between the heat transfer unit and the selected region of the body;
• and
• a temperature control device provided to control a temperature of the temperature control fluid;
• and
• cooling the selected region of the body to a target skin temperature, using a temperature control fluid that is no more than 7° C. cooler than the target skin temperature, such that even tempering of the skin surface is achieved;
• thereby reducing metabolism and blood flow in the selected region such that less chemotherapy drug reaches the blood capillaries of the selected region.

A method of increasing adherence to chemotherapy treatment, the method comprising:

• administering chemotherapy to a patient in need thereof;
• and
• providing thermal therapy to a selected region of a body of the patient to prevent CIPN thereby increasing treatment adherence, wherein the thermal therapy comprises fitting a thermal therapy device to uniformly contact a skin surface of the selected region of the body having convex and concave regions, wherein the thermal therapy device comprises a flexible material having a skin contact surface facing towards the selected region, wherein the flexible material is fitted to the selected region of the body such that the skin contact surface conforms to the convex and concave regions of the selected region of the body in a manner such that air pockets between the skin contact surface and the skin surface are avoided, wherein the selected region comprises a hand or a foot;
• providing a temperature control device to supply the thermal therapy device with the temperature control fluid;
• and
• maintaining a temperature of a temperature control fluid to be within the range of between about 15° C. and 17° C. for the duration of the chemotherapy treatment, such that even tempering of the skin surface is achieved and a temperature of the skin surface of the selected region of the body remains within a range of about 15° C. to about 22° C.;
• thereby reducing metabolism and blood flow in the selected region such that less chemotherapy drug reaches the blood capillaries of the selected region.