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 the heating of human tumours xenotransplanted into nude mice. Our treatment device was a four-channel computer-controlled hyperthermia system. Temperature was monitored by microwave radiometry at 3 GHz. Specifications of the radiometer were first evaluated under reference conditions, then thermal dosimetry was studied using non-invasive measurement of the 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 brightness temperature TOR, surface temperature TO and water bolus temperature TW thermal modelling was performed. Finally, we studied the influence of a perfused phantom to the microwave thermometry.