Hyperthermia by heating in-stent is a potentially new method to treat esophageal cancer. This study assessed the safety of heating the rabbit esophagus with a nitinol stent in an alternating magnetic field (AMF) and investigated whether this method offers a therapeutic option for esophageal cancer. Nitinol stents were placed in the cervical esophagi of healthy rabbits, which were heated in an AMF for different times at 43, 46 and 50 degrees C. The esophagi were histologically examined after a week to observe whether there was transmural necroses. Then esophageal cancer of rabbit placed nitinol stents were heated in an AMF at 46 degrees C for 10 min. Stents were heated to a target temperature within 5 min. The highest tolerated temperature and time for the healthy rabbit esophagus was at 46 degrees C for 10 min. Tumor growth was delayed by heating and it was statistically significant. Heating the rabbit esophageal wall at 46 degrees C for 10 min proves to be safe and effective in delaying tumor growth. (C) 2009 National Natural Science Foundation of China and Chinese Academy of Sciences. Published by Elsevier Limited and Science in China Press. All rights reserved.