Thermal infrared image processing to assess heat generated by magnetic nanoparticles for hyperthermia applications

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) is considered a promising therapeutic technique for the treatment of cancer cells, in which magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) with superparamagnetic behavior generate mild-temperatures under an AC magnetic field to selectively destroy the abnormal cancer cells, in detriment of the healthy ones. However, the poor heating efficiency of most NMPs and the imprecise experimental determination of the temperature field during the treatment, are two of the majors drawbacks for its clinical advance. Thus, in this work, different MNPs were developed and tested under an AC magnetic field (~1.10 kA/m and 200 kHz), and the heat generated by them was assessed by an infrared camera. The resulting thermal images were processed in MATLAB after the thermographic calibration of the infrared camera. The results show the potential to use this thermal technique for the improvement and advance of MFH as a clinical therapy

Impact of COVID-19 on the performance of a radiation oncology department at a major comprehensive cancer centre in Poland during the first ten weeks of the epidemic

The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus rapidly altered radiotherapy service delivery around the world.AimThe main objective of this study was to assess the impact of precautionary measures implemented in response to the COVID-19 pandemic on the performance of a radiation oncology departments and on mitigation the risk of COVID-19 contagion between and among patients and staff.MethodsThe study period was from March 15 until May 22, 2020. We evaluated total number of patients irradiated and those who initiated treatments, taking into account tumours localisations. We assessed the relationship of potential risk of contagion with patients’ domiciles locations in regions with high number of COVID19 case.Results and conclusionsThe number of patients treated with radiotherapy during the study period decreased due to precautionary measures. After five weeks, the number of radiotherapy treatments began to increase. Just over half of the radiotherapy patients (53.5%) treated at the GPCC reside in the city of Poznan or in one of the ten surrounding counties where COVID19 incidence was low and reached at the end of the study period cumulative number of cases n = 204. The precautionary measures were effective qRT-PCR tests were performed in 1545 individuals (patients and hospital staff) revealing four staff members and none patient with a positive PCR result. Immunoglobulin testing was performed in 1132 individuals (patients and hospital staff). A total of 63 individuals were positive for antibodies

Hyperthermia study in breast cancer treatment using three applicators

This paper assesses the initial collateral effects which result from the use of electromagnetic (EM) hyperthermia treatment. In this particular case, the focus of study is breast cancer treatment by means of an electromagnetic simulation model. A breast model was created by using the electrical properties to tissues, and it was radiated with three applicators at 2.45 GHz to generate increased of temperature, analyzing the distribution of power density inside the breast. The third applicator, it is a new applicator developed in the Groove Gap Waveguide technology (GGW). A comparison between the power density in the tumor and other breast tissues (fat and lobes) is presented. Results show that the location of the microwave applicator is a factor that determines the unwanted overheating of tissues closed tumor. The preliminary results indicate that with the new applicator developed in the Groove Gap Waveguide technology (GGW) is possible to focus the EM energy. Moreover, the tissues close to the tumor obtain a lower concentration of power density

Magnetic carbon nanostructures and study of their transport in microfluidic devices for hyperthermia

Cancer incidence and mortality are growing worldwide at an alarming pace, emphasizing the urgent need for new strategies to combat this disease. One of the frontiers of cancer research is currently focused on the design of multifunctional magnetic nanoparticles capable to achieve the synergistic cancer theranostics (both diagnosis and therapy). Although the potentiality that these multifunctional nanosystems represents to nanomedicine, cancer treatment and diagnostic, there are still many challenges that must be addressed in a near future before this approach became a reality. The development of efficient multifunctional magnetic nanosystems able to selectively destroy cancer cells in detriment of healthy ones, is one of the main challenges that have damped the spread of this technology into clinical applications. The limited biological and biophysical studies between the biomedical nanosystems and cells/tissues/organs is another challenge that has to be addressed. With these two main challenges in mind, the present Ph.D. work was focused in the development of: (1) Multifunctional magnetic carbon nanostructures as multifunctional nanosystems for the treatment of cancer, and (2) New advanced microfluidic devices capable to give new insights over the developed nanosystems and human cells.The successful accomplishment of the multidisciplinary tasks considered in this Ph.D. work, was supported by important collaborations that were strengthened at different stages in the frame of this Ph.D. project, namely INL -International Iberian Nanotechnology Laboratory (Braga, Portugal); CeRiCol -Centro Ricerche Colorobbia Consulting (Vinci, Italy); CIMO -Centro de Investigacao da Montanha (Braganca, Portugal) and Harvard-MIT Division of Health Sciences and Technology (Cambridge, USA).R.O. Rodrigues acknowledge the Ph.D. scholarship SFRH/BD/97658/2013 granted by Fundacao para a Ciencia e a Tecnologia (FCT), as well as a Fulbright Research Grant 2017, granted by Fulbright Portugal

Hyperthermia study in breast cancer treatment using a new applicator

A study about effects obtained by implementing an electromagnetic hyperthermia (EM) treatment model are presented. The study focus is the breast cancer treatment; this study is perform using an electromagnetic simulation model. A breast was modeled using the conductivity and permittivity of tissues such as fat, skin, lobules and muscle. The distribution of the power density was analyzed for two cases, first the applicator is not aligned with the tumor; second the applicator is aligned with the applicator. The distribution of the power density was analyzed inside the breast model when it was irradiated with two applicators at 2.45 GHz and 5 GHz. The second applicator proposed it is a new prototype of applicator developed in the Groove Gap Waveguide technology (GGW). The power density obtained in lobes, tumor and fat is compared and it was observed that tissues overheating that are close to the tumor can be avoided by optimizing the applicator location. The preliminary results indicate that with the new prototype of applicator developed in the Groove Gap Waveguide technology (GGW) is possible to focus the EM energy. Moreover, the tissues close to the tumor obtain a lower concentration of power density