Documentation of a new intracavitary applicator for transrectal hyperthermia designed for prostate cancer cases: A phantom study

Concerning clinical trials, intracavitary hyperthermia has already shown antitumor activity and has a potential role in the treatment of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to document a new intracavitary applicator operating at 433 MHz, designed for transrectal hyperthermia, as well as to as...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of medical physics 2018-04, Vol.43 (2), p.141-145
Main Authors: Kouloulias, Vassilis, Nikolakopoulou, Aggeliki, Karanasiou, Irene, Antypas, Christos, Armpilia, Christina, Uzunoglou, Nikolaos
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Antennas
Anticancer properties
Cancer research
Cancer therapies
Care and treatment
Computer engineering
Design
Dielectric properties
Fever
Health physics
Heat
Hyperthermia
Medical research
Medical schools
microwave
Penetration depth
phantom
Physics
Prostate cancer
Radiation therapy
specific absorption rate
Technical Note
transrectal
Citations: Items that cite this one
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Concerning clinical trials, intracavitary hyperthermia has already shown antitumor activity and has a potential role in the treatment of prostate cancer. The aim of this study was to document a new intracavitary applicator operating at 433 MHz, designed for transrectal hyperthermia, as well as to assess the specific absorption rate (SAR) distributions in terms of temperature measurements in a soft-tissue phantom. The microwave applicator consists of a dipole-type λ/2, a reflector, and the cooling system. The applicator was placed into a soft-tissue gel-phantom box that was mimicking the dielectric properties of the normal tissue. A calibrated thermometer was implanted inside the phantom at specific locations, to calculate temperature distributions. The maximum value of the SAR was 108 W/kg on the surface's central area at the footprint of the antenna, while the penetration depth was at around 3 cm. Our experimental measurements confirmed the role of the reflector concerning the directivity in a certain area and non icotropic, by means of protecting normal tissues around the prostate. The SAR experimental measurements showed that our applicator might be used effectively as a treatment device for prostate cancer, demonstrating a clear advantage over other similar transrectal devices.
ISSN:0971-6203
1998-3913
DOI:10.4103/jmp.JMP_67_17