Validation of thermal dynamics during Hyperthermic IntraPEritoneal Chemotherapy simulations using a 3D-printed...

Area of Science:

• Oncology
• Medical Physics
• Surgical Oncology

Background:

• CytoReductive Surgery (CRS) with Hyperthermic IntraPeritoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC) is a standard treatment for peritoneal metastasis (PM).
• Thermal heterogeneities during HIPEC can lead to uneven treatment and increased risk of disease recurrence.
• Accurate thermal mapping is crucial for optimizing HIPEC efficacy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To validate the thermal module of an OpenFoam-based treatment planning software.
• To assess the software's accuracy in predicting thermal distributions during HIPEC.
• To evaluate the clinical relevance of the software's accuracy for optimizing treatment.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an anatomically correct 3D-printed peritoneal phantom in an experimental HIPEC setup.
• Varied catheter positions, flow rate, and inflow temperatures across 7 different experimental cases.
• Measured thermal distribution at 63 points across 9 regions over 30 minutes with 5-second intervals.

Main Results:

• Experimental thermal distributions closely matched simulated temperature ranges.
• The software demonstrated high accuracy, with absolute errors below 0.5°C near steady-state.
• The overall experimental duration showed an absolute error of approximately 0.5°C.

Conclusions:

• The developed treatment planning software accurately predicts thermal distributions during HIPEC.
• An accuracy below 0.5°C is clinically adequate for estimating local temperature variations.
• The software can aid in optimizing HIPEC treatments for peritoneal metastasis.