Impact of Breast Tissue Heterogeneity on Microwave Ablation Performance: Insights from Computational Modeling

Introduction: Breast cancer is the leading cause of death among women worldwide, and treatments often have severe physiological and aesthetic side effects. Researchers are exploring minimally invasive techniques, such as Microwave Ablation therapy (MWA), to mitigate these effects. Methods: This study has investigated the impact of microwave ablation therapy on breast tissue with segmental microcalcifications, which can show breast cancer presence. This research work has used a coaxial dual-slot antenna model to apply microwave radiation and compare thermal and reflection parameters between homogeneous and heterogeneous breast tissues. Results: The results have shown homogeneous models to yield a power reflection below 17% and achieve the desired ablation temperature of 50°C in less than 250 seconds of therapy time. However, heterogeneous models have achieved a power reflection above 18% and achieved the desired ablation temperature in less than 250 seconds. This suggests that considering variation in dielectric properties within a homogeneous breast model can be more effective than considering tissue segmentation. Conclusion: Further research needs to optimize the antenna for each homogeneous breast density, considering other malignant tissues, which can potentially improve the effectiveness of microwave ablation therapy in treating breast cancer.