Effectiveness of microwave ablation using two simultaneous antennas for liver malignancy treatment

Abstract

Microwave ablation is becoming an increasingly important minimally invasive procedure that uses dielectric hysteresis to generate heat and destroy cancer cells. Tissue damage depends on the input power, procedure duration, and antenna position. Therefore, one of the essential problems is determining parameters that ensure the destruction of the tumor with the desired margins and minimal damage to the healthy tissue. In addition to experimental methods, computer modeling has been proven to be an effective approach for improving the performance of microwave ablation (MWA). Moreover, since the thermal spread in biological tissue is difficult to measure, the development of a predictive model from procedural planning to execution may have a great impact on patient care. This study focuses on determining the optimal parameters for MWA treatment of liver tumors using two identical parallel-positioned multi-slot coaxial antennas. The simulation results suggest that an input power of 20 W or 15 W per antenna suffices for complete tumor ablation with a sufficient safety margin for 600 and 900 s, respectively. In both cases, the created ablation zones were similar. The ablation zones for 15 W per antenna were more spherical, invading a smaller amount of healthy tissue than those for 20 W per antenna. This study may represent a step forward in planning MWA treatment for individual patients.