Finite element analysis of the effect of microwave ablation on the liver, lung, kidney, and bone malignant tissues

Abstract Microwave ablation becomes a promising thermal modality for treating cancerous tumor cells in patients who are non-surgical candidates. To ensure the destruction of cancer cells with minimal damage to healthy tissue, the elevation of temperature and the evolution of the necrotic tissue need to be controlled. Besides experimental methods, computer modeling evolves into a powerful approach for improving the performance of the ablative treatment. This letter reports on the numerical studies of the microwave ablation effect on the liver, lung, kidney, and bone tumoral tissues. Calculations were performed by using the COMSOL Multiphysic based on a multi-component plasma fluid model. Simulation conditions include the microwave frequency of , the input power of , and taking into account the temperature dependence of dielectric properties of the tissue. The total loss power density, the temperature distribution, the fraction of the tissue damage, and the specific absorption rate have been determined. It was shown that the temperature distribution has an ellipsoidal shape reaching the maximal values required for effective cancer treatment but to avoid damaging healthy cells near the antenna slot. From the degree of tissue injury, the fraction of damage has been estimated revealing that the microwave ablation zones are concentrated around the tip and slot of the antenna. Also, the ablation of the tumor cells can be achieved over a long period without damaging healthy cells when small input power is used. The obtained results confirm that simulations can be very useful for predicting optimal conditions for the minimal damage of the healthy tissue during microwave ablation, and therefore may be implemented into treatment planning.