Simulation of Thermal Effects on Rectal Wall During Laser Treatment of Prostate Cancer Using Hyaluronic Acid and Polyethylene Glycol Spacers: A Generalized Dual-Phase-Lag Bioheat Approach
Abstract
Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer among men and a leading cause of mortality. Laser radiation therapy is a critical treatment modality, utilizing high heat to ablate prostate tumors and effectively eliminate cancer cells. However, the excessive heat generated during treatment poses a risk of damaging adjacent healthy tissues, particularly the rectal wall. This study presents a method to mitigate thermal effects on the rectal wall by using Hyaluronic Acid (HA) or Polyethylene Glycol (PEG) spacers. These spacers are injected between the rectum and prostate during laser therapy to reduce unintended thermal damage. Thermal effects were analyzed using the Generalized Dual-Phase Lag (GDPL) bioheat equations, comparing the impact of HA and PEG spacers for tumor sizes of 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm. Results demonstrate that HA injection significantly reduces the maximum temperature on the rectal wall compared to cases without a spacer. For tumor sizes of 10 mm, 15 mm, and 20 mm, temperature reductions of 3.0%, 13.2%, and 74.1% were observed, respectively, with HA outperforming PEG. Notably, the laser heat eliminated a 10 mm tumor within 60 seconds. The authors acknowledge the necessity of clinical trials to validate these benefits. While this study has certain limitations, it offers preliminary insights to physicians on the potential advantages of using HA to enhance temperature management during radiation therapy for prostate cancer