Technical note: Computational study on thermal management schemes for tumor-treating fields therapy.

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Physics
• Oncology

Background:

• Thermal management is critical for patient compliance and effectiveness in tumor-treating fields (TTFields) therapy.
• TTFields therapy, used for glioblastoma, generates heat via electrodes, posing a challenge to treatment efficiency and patient comfort.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate methods for controlling temperature increases during TTFields therapy.
• To optimize electrode configurations and array arrangements to mitigate heat without reducing the therapy duty cycle.

Main Methods:

• Utilized finite element analysis with a multi-layer tissue model in COMSOL Multiphysics.
• Tested various electrode configurations, including gel layer radius (8-12 mm), electrode spacing, and array arrangements (square, circular).

Main Results:

• High temperatures correlated with edge current density on electrodes.
• Increased gel layer diameter, enlarged electrode spacing, and uniform array arrangements reduced temperature rises.
• A novel circular array design (12 mm gel radius, 45 mm spacing) reduced peak temperature from 42.1°C to 40.8°C.

Conclusions:

• Optimized electrode and array configurations effectively manage TTFields therapy temperatures.
• This approach enhances patient compliance and treatment efficacy by maintaining prolonged field exposure.
• Findings provide insights for improved electrode array design in TTFields therapy.