Experimental thermoradiotherapy of human tumour xenografts in nude mice: design of the hyperthermia system

Abstract

An experimental thermoradiotherapy study was started in 1986. For this study a hyperthermia system was developed for the heating of human tumours xenotransplanted into nude mice. Our treatment device was a four-channel computer-controlled hyperthermia system. Temperature was monitored by microwave radiometry at 3 GHz. Specifications of the radiometer were first evaluated under reference conditions, then thermal dosimetry was studied using non-invasive measurement of the brightness temperature T_OR. Hyperthermia treatments were simulated in phantom material with radiometric monitor values T_R of 40 and 41. In conjunction with the parameters of brightness temperature T_OR, surface temperature T_O and water bolus temperature T_W thermal modelling was performed. Finally, we studied the influence of a perfused phantom to the microwave thermometry.

Key Words:

• Thermoradiotherapy
• microwave radiometry
• nude mice