Numerical Study of Nanofluid Transport in Tumors During Nanofluid Infusion for Magnetic Nanoparticle Hyperthermia Treatment

The application of nanostructures in hyperthermia treatment of cancer has attracted growing research interest due to the fact that magnetic nanoparticles are able to generate impressive levels of heat when excited by an external magnetic field [1–3]. Various types of nanoparticles such as magnetite and superparamagentic iron oxide nanoparticles have demonstrated great potentials in hyperthermia treatment; however many challenges need to be addressed for future applications of this method in clinical studies. One leading issue is the limited knowledge of nanoparticle distribution in tumors. Since the temperature elevation is induced as the result of the heat generation by the nanoparticles, the concentration distributions of the particles in a tumor play a critical role in determining the efficacy of the treatment. The lack of control of the nanoparticle distribution may lead to inadequacy in killing tumor cells and/or damage to the healthy tissue.