Thermal therapy, Part IV: electromagnetic and thermal dosimetry

In this article some of the important techniques in electromagnetic (EM) and thermal dosimetry are reviewed. Three major areas are discussed: modeling power deposition and estimation of EM energy absorbed by tissues exposed to EM radiation, electrical-thermal modeling for thermal therapy with various models of heat transfer in living tissues, and thermal dosimetry using invasive and noninvasive thermometry. Knowledge about the temperature distributions achieved can only be obtained by treatment planning of patient therapy. This process is called thermal therapy planning system (TTPS), which is a large and complex system for design, control, documentation, and evaluation of the treatment that also provides data for treatment optimization. Various imaging techniques for guidance and monitoring necessary for clinical treatments are also discussed. The review concludes by suggesting future avenues for investigations.