Abstract
SignificancePhotodynamic therapy (PDT) and photothermal therapy (PTT) show promise as cancer treatments, but challenges in generating large ablative volumes for deep-seated tumours persist. Using simulations, this study investigates combined PDT and PTT to increase treatment volumes, including the impact of a temperature-dependent PDT dose on the treatment volume radius. ApproachA finite-element model, using the open-source SfePy package, was developed to simulate combined interstitial photothermal and photodynamic treatments. Results compared an additive dose model to a temperature-dependent dose model with enhanced PDT dosimetry and examined typical clinical scenarios for possible synergistic effects. ResultsFindings revealed that the temperature-dependent dose model could significantly expand the damage radius compared to the additive model, depending on the tissue and drug properties. ConclusionsCharacterizing synergistic effects of PDT and PTT could enhance treatment planning. Future work is ongoing to implement additional variables, such as photosensitizer photobleaching, and spatial and temporally varying oxygenation.
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