Thermotherapy method for treatment and prevention of breast cancer and cancer in other organs

Abstract

A method is disclosed for treating cancerous or benign conditions of an organ by selective irradiation of the organ tissue with focused energy. The method includes the steps of inserting an E-field probe sensor to an appropriate depth in the organ tissue, monitoring temperatures of the skin surface adjacent the organ (if focused energy is used), positioning two or more energy applicators around the organ, setting the initial power level delivered to each energy applicator, setting the initial relative phase delivered to each energy applicator to focus the energy at the E-field probe positionedin the organ tissue(if focused energy is used), delivering energy to the two or more energy applicators to selectively irradiate the organ tissue with focused energy and treat at least one of cancerous and benign conditions of the organ, adjusting the level of power to be delivered to each energy applicator during treatment based on the monitored skin temperatures, monitoring the energy deliveredto the energy applicators, determining total energy delivered to the energy applicators and displaying the total energy in real time during the treatment, and completing the treatment when the desired total energy dose has been delivered by the energy applicators to the organ. Either focused or non-focused energy may be employed with microwave energy applicators being the preferred energy source.However, any combination of energy applicators such as electromagnetic, ultrasound, radio frequency and laser may be used together to form the focused energy. Non-focused energy may be combined withfocused energy to enhance the thermotherapy. Several applications for breast cancer treatment include treatment of advanced and early stage breast cancer, breast cancer prevention, and treatment of benignbreast disease and ductal carcinoma in situ.

Description

Background of the invention [0001] Generally speaking, the present invention relates to minimally invasive methods for the application of focused energy, such as adaptive microwave phased array hyperthermia, which can be used to treat tube and adenocarcinoma and intraductal hyperplasia in flat breast tissue, as well as benign injuries Such as fibroadenomas and cysts. In addition, the method according to the present invention can be used to treat healthy tissues containing undetected high water content microscopic pathologically altered cells, thereby preventing the occurrence or recurrence of cancerous, precancerous, or benign breast lesions. [0002] In order to treat primary breast cancer with high temperature, a large volume of tissue must be heated, such as a quarter or more of the breast. It is well known that about 90% of all breast cancers originate from lactiferous duct tissue (lactary ducts), and most of the remaining cancers originate from glandular tissue lobules (milk...

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Problems solved by technology

[0014] While the above assignee's method non-invasively removes cysts from breast tissue, other problems arise due to the externally focused microwaves and mechanical pressure used to compress the breast tissue

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