Modeling EM-based thermal treatment: Requirements, progress, and open issues

Thermal therapies are valuable modalities in numerous fields, including cancer treatment, surgery, targeted drug delivery and more. However, numerical modeling is typically required to enable such treatments or to improve their quality. This paper presents the underlying requirements of numerical modeling and an implementation framework, discusses the limitations of current solutions, and identifies various areas warranting further research. Particular emphasis is placed on the need to identify the principal factors influencing treatment effectiveness and dose concepts more closely related to treatment outcome. Progress in these areas will allow for more reliable outcome predictions and decision-making, as well as effectiveness-oriented treatment optimization.