Hyperthermia can double the effectiveness of radiation and chemotherapy. However, hyperthermia has not yet been widely used for treatment of deep seated or wide spread tumors because of difficulties in directing and controlling the heating deposition. BSD has developed an advanced, EM, phased array applicator, the Sigma Eye, which provides three axes shaping and positioning of the heating pattern. BSD will now develop a clinically usable hyperthermia planning, treatment, and monitoring system capable of precisely controlling and directing the heating pattern, which will result in an increase in the volume averaged tumor temperature currently achieved and thus increase treatment effectiveness. This new system will include design of an independent, 12 channel, phase adjustable, EM amplifier; development of a 24 sensor, external, E-Field monitoring module; completion of the Sigma Eye applicator design for integration with existing patient handling equipment; and modification of operator interface hardware and software. BSD will also develop a cost effective, computer workstation based, 3D, treatment planning program which uses direct input of patient CT scan data and computes optimized treatment parameters for each patient. BSD will conduct laboratory and comparative, randomized, clinical testing of this advanced hyperthermia planning, delivery and monitoring system.
Hyperthermic oncologists have requested further research into deep hyperthermia technology for treatment of large deep tumors, for which there are few other treatment options. These equipment developments will lead to a new generation of deep hyperthermia treatment systems and the optimization of a therapy which can be added to every currently available cancer treatment to increase efficacy and improve the cancer patient's quality of life, with no increase in side effects, while at the same time reducing overall cost of care for these patients.
