Optimization of three-dimensional esophageal tumor ablation by simultaneous functioning of multiple electrodes

Area of Science:

• Medical physics
• Oncology
• Biomedical engineering

Background:

• Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a minimally invasive treatment for tumors.
• Current RFA for esophageal cancer is limited to superficial lesions.
• Precise, conformal ablation of esophageal tumors remains a challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop an optimization method for conformal radiofrequency ablation of esophageal tumors.
• To improve the efficacy and precision of RFA in treating esophageal cancer.
• To enable conformal treatment for various tumor geometries and sizes.

Main Methods:

• Developed a particle swarm optimization algorithm coupled with a 3D thermal ablation model.
• Optimized electrode status, optimal voltage (Vopt), and treatment duration (ttre).
• Accounted for electrical and thermal interactions of multiple electrodes.

Main Results:

• Achieved over 99.5% complete tumor coverage for esophageal cancers.
• Demonstrated conformal ablation for tumors of varying sizes (thickness 4.5–10.0 mm) and geometries.
• Successfully treated symmetrical and non-symmetrical tumor shapes.

Conclusions:

• The proposed method enables precise conformal ablation of esophageal cancers.
• This optimization technique offers potential for treating other intraluminal lesions.
• Advanced RFA optimization can overcome limitations in current esophageal cancer treatment.