What is Microwave Hyperthermia?
Microwave hyperthermia is a type of thermal cancer treatment, in which the tumor is exposed to elevated temperatures for a sufficiently long period of time; the tumor is locally heated to achieve cell death or render the cells more sensitive to ionizing radiation or chemotherapy. In recent years, this technique has become a mainstream treatment of cancerous cells, especially for breast cancer, due to its proven efficiency, safety, and non-invasiveness; it relies on the quality of the antenna applicator system which presents a challenging task as it must be adjusted in time, frequency and power in order to carefully focus the high frequency waves, thus the heat, to only the cancerous tumor without over-heating surrounding healthy tissue.
HFWorks for Hyperthermia Antenna Design
To meet the above-mentioned design challenge, EMWorks offers you, an accurate and powerful solution, HFWorks. Based on the frequency domain finite element, HFWorks, has no limitation on the shape or number of the antenna elements. Equipped with an integrated steady-state and transient thermal solvers, HFWorks computes the temperature distribution in the tumors and the surrounding tissue straight from the electromagnetic losses in the tissue and the applicator antenna. The results below are obtained by HFWorks for a Tapered Slot Antenna (TSA) array made of 12 elements. The antennas are vertically placed forming a circular arrangement around an artificial cylindrical breast phantom including cancer tumors; both the SAR and temperature distribution are shown.
Antenna Array Configuration Around Breast Phantom Cross Sectional View of E-Field Distribution
Cross-Sectional View of SAR and Temperature Distributions
Clearly, the maximum SAR is localized inside the tumor part in the targeted position, thanks to the adjusted excitation phase used in the simulation. The same for the temperature results, after an hour of exposure to the microwave energy, the highest temperature is focused inside the tumor.
Conclusion
Microwave hyperthermia emerges as a beacon of hope in non-invasive cancer treatment, offering a blend of precision, safety, and effectiveness. Central to its success is the sophisticated antenna design enabled by HFWorks, which ensures targeted therapy that spares healthy tissue. This technology not only elevates treatment outcomes but also embodies the future of oncological care, where the focus is on maximizing efficacy while minimizing patient discomfort and side effects.