3D Computational Modeling of Fe₃O₄@Au Nanoparticles in Hyperthermia Treatment of Skin Cancer

Nanotechnology can be used to treat a diversity of cancers with different physiological properties. Skin cancers are common among people affected by an excessive solar radiation of the ultraviolet (UV) range.

This paper describes a mathematical formulation and simulation approach for the magnetic hyperthermia therapy of skin cancer using gold-coated iron oxide (Fe₃O₄@Au) magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs).

The authors created an artificial 3D geometry model of skin cancer with tissue-mimicking materials, constructed a mesh, and solved all the required physics for electro-thermal simulation using FEM-based software. The heat transfer in the skin tissue was modeled using the Pennes bioheat equation, and the Helmholtz-type equation of quasi-static magnetic field produced by a three-turned coil surrounding the tumor.

The simulated magnetic field pattern was compared with that of the analytical solution along the symmetry axis of the helical coil with good agreement. The obtained results show that the tumor damage is maximum in the tumor center and decreases towards its outer boundaries. Additionally, the impact of varying values of blood perfusion rate, blood density, blood specific heat capacity, heat dissipation produced by Fe₃O₄@Au MNPs, and metabolic heat generation has been examined for thermal therapy. The performed simulations show that all these parameters influences heating characteristics of tumor tissues by gold-coated magnetic nanoparticles.

Gold-iron oxide magnetic nanoparticles succeeded to damage 90-99% skin cancer. Among all the contributing parameters, the blood perfusion is the most sensitive parameter in thermal therapy of skin tumor.

On the bases of results obtained, we recommend physicians to use Fe₃O₄@Au MNPs in real time medical skin cancer treatments.