Tumor Modeling and Microwave Heating for Increasing Oxygen in Tumors during Photodynamic Therapy

Tumor destruction due to Photodynamic Therapy (PDT) is mainly governed by the amount of molecular oxygen present in the tumor. Oxygen is one of the rate-limiting factors in PDT. This rate-limiting factor always makes PDT a lengthy process, as it necessitates interruption in treatment in order to restore the depleted oxygen levels to normal range. In this paper, a microwave (MW) heating technique is proposed as a mechanism to elevate the local tissue temperature for oxygen enhancement. Extensive mathematical modeling of a tumor is presented to show the level of microwave heating required to optimize the PDT application within safety margins.