MICROWAVE PROSTATIC HYPERTHERMIA - INTEREST OF URETHRAL AND RECTAL APPLICATORS COMBINATION-THEORETICAL STUDY AND ANIMAL EXPERIMENTAL RESULTS

Microwave thermotherapy systems used for benign prostatic hyperplasia treatment generally operate with urethral or rectal applicator to deli ver the microwave energy in the prostate, This technique does not allo w an efficient heating of all the gland particularly in the case of la rge adenoma or when the treatment is limited to only one heating sessi on, A solution to this problem is given by using simultaneously the re ctal and urethral applicators [1]. A complete 915-MHz microwave thermo therapy system is presented with two applicators which can operate ind ependently or simultaneously to deliver the microwave energy in the pr ostate, Electromagnetic and thermal modeling have been developed for t he applicator antenna optimization, to calculate the specific absorpti on rate (SAR) and the thermal pattern in the prostate for each applica tor alone and when they operate together in phase, Different canine ex periments have been performed to prove the interest of using the two a pplicators simultaneously as compared when they operate alone, Hystolo gical examination cuts of the prostate gland after heating have been c arried out.