Heating technology for malignant tumors: a review.

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Heat therapy, including hyperthermia and thermal ablation, is a well-established cancer treatment modality.
• Effective thermal therapy relies on high-quality equipment, accurate thermal dosimetry, and robust quality assurance.
• Diverse heating technologies have been developed, varying in technique, depth, focus, and application size.

Purpose of the Study:

• To provide a comprehensive review of clinical hyperthermia and thermal ablation devices.
• To outline the proven and experimental clinical applications of thermal therapies.
• To discuss temperature measurement, treatment planning, and future directions in heating technology for oncology.

Main Methods:

• Review of existing literature on clinical hyperthermia and ablation devices.
• Categorization of thermal therapies into local, locoregional, and whole-body approaches.
• Discussion of various heating modalities including electromagnetic, ultrasonic, perfusion, and conductive methods.

Main Results:

• Detailed overview of clinically used devices for local (e.g., HIFU, nanoparticle heating), locoregional (e.g., phased array, capacitive systems), and whole-body heating.
• Compilation of established and investigational clinical applications for hyperthermia and thermal ablation.
• Exploration of temperature monitoring techniques and treatment planning strategies.

Conclusions:

• A wide array of thermal therapy devices and techniques are available for cancer treatment.
• Precise control, accurate dosimetry, and advanced technology are essential for optimizing therapeutic outcomes.
• Future advancements in heating technology hold significant promise for improving tumor treatment efficacy.