Abstract

The goal of heat therapy in the treatment of malignant disease is to raise the temperature of all neoplastic tissue to a cytotoxic temperature for a predetermined period of time. This seemingly simple task has proved difficult in-vivo, in part because of nonuniform power absorption and in part because of nonhomogeneous and time varying tumour blood flow. We have addressed this difficulty first by utilizing the conceptually simple technique of conductive interstitial hyperthermia, in which the tumour is warmed by multiple, electrically heated catheters, and second by implementing on-line conu·ol of minimum tumour temperatures near each catheter, estimated on the basis of the steadystate ratio of catheter power to catheter temperature rise. This report presents an analysis of the accuracy, precision, and stability of the on-line minimum temperature estimation/conu·ol technique for 22 patients who received 31 separate courses of conductive interstitial hyperthermia for the treatment of malignant brain tumours, and in whom temperature was monitored independently by 12 to 16 independent sensors per patient. In all patients, the technique was found to accurately and precisely estimate and control the local minimum temperatures. Comparison of measured and estimated temperatures revealed a mean difference of 0.0 ±0.4 °C for those sensors within 1.0 mm of the expected location for minimum temperatures. This technique, therefore, offers an attractive method for controlling hyperthermia therapy -- even in the presence of time varying local blood flow.

Comments

This is the author accepted manuscript version of DeFord, J.A., Babbs, C.F., Patel, U.H., Bleyer, M.W., Marchosky, J.A., Moran, C.J., Effective estimation and computer control of minimum tumour temperature during conductive interstitial hyperthermia, Int. J. Hyperthermia 7, 441-453, 1991. Copyright Taylor & Francis, the version of record is available at http://dx.doi.org/10.3109/02656739109005009.

Keywords

algorithm, blood flow, heat therapy, glioma, glioblastoma, minimum temperature, intracranial tumour, perfusion

Date of this Version

1991

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