Mathematical Modeling of Breast Tumor Destruction Using Fast Heating during Radiofrequency Ablation

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Physics

Background:

• Hyperthermia involves controlled heating of cancerous tissues to inhibit tumor growth or induce cell death.
• Clinical applications often combine hyperthermia with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, or immunotherapy.
• Thermoablation, a form of hyperthermia, utilizes high temperatures (up to 90°C) for tissue destruction, often via radiofrequency electrodes inserted into tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the application of mathematical modeling for simulating hyperthermia and thermoablation processes in oncology.
• To determine the efficacy of numerical tools in predicting cancerous tissue destruction based on thermal and electrical field calculations.

Main Methods:

• Development and application of a coupled thermo-electric mathematical model.
• Utilizing the Laplace equation for the electric field and the Pennes equation for the temperature field.
• Incorporating an additional source function for coupling the electric and thermal fields.
• Calculating the Arrhenius integral to quantify biological tissue damage.

Main Results:

• Numerical simulations successfully modeled the temperature distribution within the tissue during hyperthermia and thermoablation.
• The Arrhenius integral, calculated from the simulated temperature field, served as a determinant for biological tissue destruction.
• The study demonstrated the capability of mathematical modeling to simulate the process of cancerous tissue destruction.

Conclusions:

• Mathematical modeling provides a powerful tool for simulating and understanding hyperthermia and thermoablation therapies.
• Numerical simulations can accurately predict the thermal effects and tissue damage, aiding in treatment planning.
• This approach supports the optimization of thermal therapies for various cancers, including breast and brain tumors.