Treatment Planning for Transurethral and Interstitial Thermal Therapy for Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

The purpose of this study is to develop thermal-damage correlations for transurethral and interstitial thermotherapy to aid treatment planning for benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Using an Alternating-direction implicit method, the Pennes bioheat transfer equation is solved for microwave and ultrasound hyperthermia applicators for a range of parameters, including the applicator power, treatment time, and coolant parameters. Thermal coagulation contours are developed by evaluating the temperature-history data against the thermal-damage data obtained in ex-vivo experiments for prostate tissue slices and cells. Treatment protocols are proposed for treatment planning purposes and developing an optimal hyperthermia applicator that can coagulate the target tissue effectively, without destroying the surrounding healthy tissue.