Preliminary investigations on microwave hyperthermia for breast cancer using a dipole antenna

This paper presents an investigation of two dipole antennas working at 434 MHz and 2.45 GHz as a tool to understand the mechanisms to optimise microwave hyperthermia (MWH) for breast cancer. The investigations were performed on a numerical breast phantom with a water bolus kept at 25 °C developed in CST Studio Suite. The bolus thickness and dipole placements with respect to the breast were varied and an optimal scenario was selected. A layer of fat was then added to these models where the effect of fat on the temperature distribution was investigated. The results show that the 434 MHz dipole requires further improvements, but a hotspot located well below the surface of the breast suggests its usefulness for deep-seated tumours. In contrast, the 2.45 GHz dipole is a good candidate for superficial MWH where the matching, power required and hotspot focusing were superior.