May 14, 2013
Simulation Techniques in Hyperthermia Treatment Planning
Margarethus Paulides, Paul Stauffer, Esra Neufeld, Paolo Maccarini, Adamos Kyriakou, Richard Canters, Chris Diederich, Jurriaan Bakker, and Gerard van Rhoon, International Journal of Hyperthermia, Volume 29, Issue 4, pp. 346–357, June 2013, online May 14, 2013
Temperature increase induced by electromagnetic (EM) or ultrasound (US) energy deposition can significantly enhance radiotherapy and chemotherapy effectiveness in cancer treatment. However, personalized treatment planning is required to safely and effectively administer hyperthermia treatment. Modeling furthermore facilitates the analysis of treatments and the development of novel applicators, treatment protocols, and treatment approaches. This paper reviews the current state of EM, US, and tissue heating simulation and optimization techniques, as well as validation approaches, clinical integration, and image-based patient-specific model generation. Models for quantifying the administered dose that can be correlated to outcome and risks are also briefly discussed.
The scientific impact of this study can be summarized as:
- A review of the existing simulation and optimization techniques to illustrate their respective advantages and disadvantages as well as open questions.
- An overview of the current state of clinical integration and identification of features that need to be improved to facilitate usage in the clinic.
- A discussion of the current state of validation as well as novel, non-invasive measurement techniques that can help improve validation and treatment planning
