Modeling localized thermal therapy through coupled heat transfer and metabolic dynamics

Local hyperthermia is a noninvasive treatment that applies controlled heating to damage tumor cells, limit proliferation, and enhance therapy. This study models temperature distribution in tumor-bearing tissue to quantify heat-induced damage and examines its effects on tumor metabolism and glucose diffusion. Using Pennes' Bioheat equation, temperature variations in finite tissue are computed and integrated into a modified tumor growth model that includes thermal damage. The bioheat equation is solved with the finite difference method, while tumor progression under temperatures from 39°C to 43°C is simulated using Euler's method. Numerical results are validated against existing tumor and glucose concentration models. The findings show that higher hyperthermia temperatures increase thermal damage, reduce glucose availability, and significantly inhibit tumor growth, leading to shrinkage over time. The study highlights the importance of incorporating thermal effects into tumor-growth models and provides a computational framework for improving hyperthermia-based cancer therapy.