Experimental thermoradiotherapy of human tumour xenografts in nude mice; design of the hyperthermia system.

An experimental thermoradiotherapy study was started in 1986. For this study a hyperthermia system was developed for heating human tumours xenotransplanted into nude mice. The treatment device was a four-channel computer-controlled hyperthermia system. Temperature was monitored by microwave radiometry at 3 GHz. Specifications of the radiometer were evaluated first under reference conditions. Subsequently, thermal dosimetry was studied using non-invasive measurement of brightness temperature, TOR. Hyperthermia treatments were simulated in phantom material with radiometric monitor values, TR, of 40 and 41. In conjunction with the parameters of TOR, surface temperature, T0, and water bolus temperature, TW, thermal modelling was performed. Influence of a perfused phantom also was studied on microwave thermometry.