Comparative evaluation of hyperthermia heating modalities. II. Application of the acceptable power range technique

The acceptable power range technique previously described in a companion paper [R. B. Roemer, T. C. Cetas, J. R. Oleson, S. Halac, and A. Y. Matloubieh, Radiat. Res. 100, 450-472 (1984)] is applied to two heating modalities to demonstrate its application to simulated clinical situations. Comparisons of the abilities of the different modalities to heat given tumors are made using the relative sizes of the acceptable power ranges obtained for each modality. Similar comparisons are also possible for determining the efficacy of physiological manipulations and adjustments in power deposition patterns for a given heating modality. Predictions of the ability of modalities and configurations to properly heat tumors are made using the bracketing nature of the uniform and annular tumor perfusion models. These comparisons and predictions are possible because a single measure of the ability of any heating technique to heat an arbitrary tumor in any location is utilized (the size of the acceptable power range). While relatively simple models are presently utilized, this approach can be extended to take into account a host of physical and biological conditions that model the patient-device interaction to an arbitrarily high degree of detail. These refinements will be based on extended clinical and experimental data, particularly as tumor and normal tissue blood perfusion characteristics either become better known in general cases or can be specified for each real tumor. The applications of this approach should be far-reaching and complementary to clinical hyperthermia, especially as further model refinements are incorporated. Additional data are presented which reinforce the bracketing nature of the uniform and annular tumor perfusion models presented in the companion paper.