Flexible Microwave Antenna Applicator for Chemo-Thermotherapy of the Breast

In this letter, we propose a flexible microwave antenna applicator to induce mild hyperthermia that can be used in conjunction with chemotherapy. The antennas used were designed and tested using in vitro gels that mimic the electrical properties of human breast skin, fat, fibroglandular, and muscle tissues. Experiments show that the applicator can provide up to a 3°C temperature increase within the breast to successfully achieve mild hyperthermia. The results obtained in this letter suggest that a cost-effective local hyperthermia treatment technology that can be widely used at local clinical cancer treatment centers is plausible without using expensive applicators and electromagnetic shielding rooms.