Heat treatment is applied to tissue in need of such treatment which is
surrounded by tissue not in need of such treatment, by positioning a
deposit within the surrounding tissue adjacent the tissue in need of
treatment. The dielectric constant and/or the conductivity of the deposit
is greater than that of the surrounding tissue. A radio frequency antenna
or antenna array directs a radio frequency signal at a selected frequency
into the deposit. The deposit has a diameter within a range of about 0.5
times to about 0.16 times the wavelength of the radio frequency signal
within the surrounding tissue. The deposit is heated, at least partially
through resonant heating, to a temperature greater than the surrounding
tissue to apply heat treatment to the tissue in need of treatment. The
deposit may take the form of a balloon of a Mammosite.RTM. type device to
provide hyperthermia treatment in conjunction with radiation treatment of
a breast after a lumpectomy.