Optimization of hyperthermia process applied to cancer treatment using multi-objective optimization differential evolution.

Due to the number of cancer cases diagnosed each year and the fatality rate resulting from some more severe types, the improvement of less invasive and more efficient treatment techniques is of great importance. In this context, hyperthermia is a medical procedure in which the tumor region is heated by using an applicator for a certain period, aiming to destroy pathological cells. Computational models can be used to simulate the heating effect of tumors and adjacent cells. In general, the solution to an optimization problem considering factors such as heating temperature, applicator position, and the time in which the region will be subjected to heating can provide important information about the procedure. Traditionally, this type of problem has been addressed in a single objective context, focusing on minimizing the destruction of adjacent healthy tissue considering the area of the applicator constant. Our fundamental objective is to propose a multi-objective design problem considering the minimization of the area subject to the procedure and the time required for the process of hyperthermia in a breast cancer treatment. The problem is constrained by the degree of tissue destruction and by a partial differential equation that describes the phenomenon of heat transfer in both healthy and tumor tissues. The results obtained demonstrate that a point with a good compromise between the objectives can be chosen in such a way that a particular strategy can be defined for each patient.