F7DIMTA - Microwave Thermal Ablation for Cancer Therapy

The student will be introduced to microwave thermal ablation (MTA), a minimally-invasive technique that is increasingly expanding for focal treatment of several solid tumours. The lectures will provide the physical foundations underlying MTA of tumour tissues as well as an overview of clinical applications. Physical phenomena, such as temperature-dependent changes in the dielectric and thermal properties of tissue during ablation, will be extensively analysed

In the case of foreign lecturers, there will be a weeklong block of intensive contact education for the number of students at least five. If the number of students is less than five, the course will be self-study with consultations using VoIP (e.g. Skype) and a contact 1-or 2-day seminar. The contact seminar will take place at the FBMI or at the home institution of a foreign lecturer. The subjects are concluded by an oral examination. The student must elaborate a paper on a given topic together with the exam in case of the controlled self-study.

Two laboratory exercises are required for admission to the exam (attested by a protocol signed by the student, the tutor and the supervisor of the course).

The protocols will be archived in the Department for Doctoral Studies.

Brief Syllabus of Lectures:

1.Introduction to MTA: physical foundations, history and overview on clinical applications and devices

2.Standardisation of terminology and reporting criteria in MTA clinical practice

3.MTA applicators: state of the art, design, manufacturing and testing

4.MTA procedures: state of the art in treatment planning and monitoring; clinical gaps and research challenges for personalised treatment planning and real time treatment monitoring

5.Temperature dependent-changes in the dielectric and thermal properties of tissue during MTA: measurement setups and experimental characterisation

6.Multi-physics simulation for MTA treatment planning: the need of realistic predictive models

7.Numerical modelling of temp. dependent-changes in the dielectric and thermal properties of tissue during MTA

8.MTA-induced tissue contraction: experimental studies and numerical modelling

9.Sources of variations in MTA procedures and effects on treatment outcomes: uncertainty and variability of tissue physical properties

10.Image-guided tumour ablation: imaging techniques for planning, targeting, monitoring and assessment of MTA.

Brief Syllabus of Exercises:

1.Design of a simple MTA applicator using CST Studio Suite, and simulation of the electromagnetic field and temperature distributions during an ex vivo MTA procedure

2.Realisation of a MTA experiment on ex vivo liver tissue: definition of the experimental setup and treatment protocol, assessment of treatment outcome

The student will be introduced to microwave thermal ablation (MTA), a minimally-invasive technique that is increasingly expanding for focal treatment of several solid tumours. The lectures will provide the physical foundations underlying MTA of tumour tissues as well as an overview of clinical applications. Physical phenomena, such as temperature-dependent changes in the dielectric and thermal properties of tissue during ablation, will be extensively analysed

Required:

[1]Lopresto, V., Pinto, R., Farina, L., Cavagnaro, M. Microwave thermal ablation: Effects of tissue properties variations on predictive models for treatment Planning (2017) Medical Engineering and Physics, 46, pp. 63-70.

Recommended:

[1]Lopresto, V., Strigari, L., Farina, L., Minosse, S., Pinto, R., D'Alessio, D., Cassano, B., Cavagnaro, M. CT-based investigation of the contraction of ex vivo tissue undergoing microwave thermal ablation (2018) Physics in Medicine and Biology

Modul D