Thermoregulation in the canine prostate during transurethral microwave hyperthermia, Part I: Temperature response

In this research, experiments were performed to study thermoregulation in the canine prostate during microwave hyperthermia. The transurethral thermal therapy (T3) system provided by Urologix, Inc. was used to impose microwave heating in the canine prostate. Five types of temperature responses to different microwave power levels as time varies, including both damped and sustained oscillatory temperature responses, have been observed. Decreases in prostatic tissue temperature during the microwave heating are believed to be caused by the increase in local blood flow stimulated by tissue temperature elevations. In this study, the characteristic temperatures and time associated with each response. This work will help to provide a better understanding of how tissue temperature is regulated within the canine prostate during transurethral microwave hyperthermia. Results of the present study offer an experimental foundation for a more detailed theoretical analysis on the temperature distribution based on the power input and local blood perfusion.