A clinical treatment delivery platform has been developed and is being evaluated in a clinical pilot study for providing
3D controlled hyperthermia with catheter-based ultrasound applicators in conjunction with high dose rate (HDR)
brachytherapy. Catheter-based ultrasound applicators are capable of 3D spatial control of heating in both angle and
length of the devices, with enhanced radial penetration of heating compared to other hyperthermia technologies.
Interstitial and endocavity ultrasound devices have been developed specifically for applying hyperthermia within HDR
brachytherapy implants during radiation therapy in the treatment of cervix and prostate. A pilot study of the
combination of catheter based ultrasound with HDR brachytherapy for locally advanced prostate and cervical cancer has
been initiated, and preliminary results of the performance and heating distributions are reported herein. The treatment
delivery platform consists of a 32 channel RF amplifier and a 48 channel thermocouple monitoring system. Controlling
software can monitor and regulate frequency and power to each transducer section as required during the procedure.
Interstitial applicators consist of multiple transducer sections of 2-4 cm length × 180 deg and 3-4 cm × 360 deg. heating
patterns to be inserted in specific placed 13g implant catheters. The endocavity device, designed to be inserted within a
6 mm OD plastic tandem catheter within the cervix, consists of 2-3 transducers × dual 180 or 360 deg sectors. 3D
temperature based treatment planning and optimization is dovetailed to the HDR optimization based planning to best
configure and position the applicators within the catheters, and to determine optimal base power levels to each
transducer section. To date we have treated eight cervix implants and six prostate implants. 100 % of treatments
achieved a goal of >60 min duration, with therapeutic temperatures achieved in all cases. Thermal dosimetry within the
hyperthermia target volume (HTV) and clinical target volume (CTV) are reported. Catheter-based ultrasound
hyperthermia with HDR appears feasible with therapeutic temperature coverage of the target volume within the prostate
or cervix while sparing surrounding more sensitive regions.
A 3D optimization-based thermal treatment planning platform has been developed for the application of catheter-based
ultrasound hyperthermia in conjunction with high dose rate (HDR) brachytherapy for treating advanced pelvic tumors.
Optimal selection of applied power levels to each independently controlled transducer segment can be used to conform
and maximize therapeutic heating and thermal dose coverage to the target region, providing significant advantages over
current hyperthermia technology and improving treatment response. Critical anatomic structures, clinical target outlines,
and implant/applicator geometries were acquired from sequential multi-slice 2D images obtained from HDR treatment
planning and used to reconstruct patient specific 3D biothermal models. A constrained optimization algorithm was
devised and integrated within a finite element thermal solver to determine a priori the optimal applied power levels and
the resulting 3D temperature distributions such that therapeutic heating is maximized within the target, while placing
constraints on maximum tissue temperature and thermal exposure of surrounding non-targeted tissue. This optimizationbased
treatment planning and modeling system was applied on representative cases of clinical implants for HDR
treatment of cervix and prostate to evaluate the utility of this planning approach. The planning provided significant
improvement in achievable temperature distributions for all cases, with substantial increase in T90 and thermal dose
(CEM43T90) coverage to the hyperthermia target volume while decreasing maximum treatment temperature and reducing
thermal dose exposure to surrounding non-targeted tissues and thermally sensitive rectum and bladder. This
optimization based treatment planning platform with catheter-based ultrasound applicators is a useful tool that has
potential to significantly improve the delivery of hyperthermia in conjunction with HDR brachytherapy. The planning
platform has been extended to model thermal ablation, including the addition of temperature dependent attenuation,
perfusion, and tissue damage. Pilot point control at the target boundaries was implemented to control power delivery to
each transducer section, simulating an approach feasible for MR guided procedures. The computer model of thermal
ablation was evaluated on representative patient anatomies to demonstrate the feasibility of using catheter-based
ultrasound thermal ablation for treatment of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) and prostate cancer, and to assist in
designing applicators and treatment delivery strategies.
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