A Numerical Analysis of Microwave Hyperthermia of Deep-Seated Tumors Using Magneto-Dielectric Implants

Microwave energy can be adopted to treat cancers through hyperthermia treatment (HT). HT is a thermal therapy used in oncology to kill cancer cells, enhance chemotherapy and improve radiotherapy effectiveness. Despite these advantages, neoplasms such as deep-seated tumors cannot be treated effectively with existing HT modalities. Magnetic implant to be used as thermo-seeds excited by an external radiofrequency (RF) field has been studied as tool for administering a new HT approach. To date, it has been preliminary proposed to use MW energy to perform the local HT of deep-seated tumor using magneto-dielectric biomaterial implants. However, further studies must be performed. This work deals with the 2D electromagnetic and thermal simulations of the MW HT of deep-seated tumors using magneto-dielectric implants. The multiphysics model is presented and used to investigate the key treatment parameters. The electric and magnetic fields distributions, the SAR patterns and the temperature profiles achieved in the case of RF and MW hyperthermia are compared, identifying suitable operative conditions for this new therapeutic modality.