Anyone who’s ever used an induction cooktop is likely half-aware of Mayo Clinic’s new experimental approach to killing cancer cells.

The Minnesota-based health system announced it will be the first in the United States to test an Israeli technology that targets solid tumors with rapidly rising heat in a process called hyperthermia.

“Temperature is cancer’s Achilles heel,” says Dr Scott Lester, a Mayo radiation oncologist who is leading clinical trials to see if the technology is safe.

The challenge is to develop treatments that focus heat on cancer cells without damaging other parts of the body. A company called New Phase has created a possible solution. The idea is to inject iron-containing nanoparticles that bind to cancer cells, making them an identifiable target for the company’s magnetic heating technology.

The encoded particles prevent overheating and keep the induced temperature below 50 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit).

Lester says induction cooktops can generate a lot of heat and can quickly cause the pot to boil over.