Effect of Arterial Blood Flow on Magnetic Nanoparticle Thermotherapy Applied on a Realistic Breast Tumor Model

Abstract

The current investigation aims to determine the effects of blood flow through the artery system engulfed in the tumor region, exposed to localized heating during magnetic nanoparticle hyperthermia (MNPH). The MNPH simulations are performed on a physical breast model constructed from MRI images of a female patient with a breast tumor. The DCE_MRI DICOM images of breast cancer from The Cancer Imaging Archive (TCIA) of a patient are utilized to build realistic breast models using 3D slicer software. The visible blood artery, tumor, and surrounding healthy tissue were then imported into the COMSOL Multiphysics software to simulate the underlying physics (bioheat transfer and fluid flow) during MNPH treatment. The tumor tissue is infused with a dose of 5, 5.5, and 6 $\mathrm{mg}/{\mathrm{cm}}^3$(tumor volume) of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) using a multi-point injection strategy. The range of magnetic field applied during MNPH simulations are 12, 13, and 14 $\mathrm{kA}/m$ at a field frequency of 330 $\mathrm{kHz}$. The Arrhenius thermal damage model is applied to evaluate the cell damage to the breast model. Two blood flow conditions, that is, with the flow and without the flow of blood through the artery, are applied to measure the effects of blood flow through the artery in the MNPH procedure. Additionally, tumor damage at different MNP doses and magnetic field conditions have also been observed under different arterial blood flow conditions. Results show that the arterial blood flow carries a significant amount of heat with it during MNPH. This minimizes the heat damage inflicted on tumor tissue during hyperthermia treatment. The presence of arterial blood flow in the partially submerged artery in the tumor site resulted in around a 25% reduction in thermal damage to the tumor tissue. However, the tumor damage can be enhanced by increasing the nanoparticle dose and magnetic field parameters. Enhancing the MNP dose and magnetic field parameters increases the thermal damage to the tumor tissue; however, this may also lead to more healthy tissue damage. The therapeutic benefits of MNPH are significantly impacted by the vasculature in and around the cancerous tissue. So, to achieve the minimal therapeutic thermal effects on the tumor, some compensation for healthy tissue damage could be a possible way with the variation in MNPH parameters such as MNP dose and magnetic field parameters.