A vector finite element approach to temperature dependent parameters of microwave ablation for liver cancer

Microwave ablation (MWA) is a minimally invasive treatment for cancer that uses electromagnetic waves to kill the tumor cells without significantly damaging the surrounding healthy cells. A three-state cell death model calculates the thermal damage around the Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tumor in the liver tissue. The temperature profile is simulated for a single-slot co-axial antenna with a 1 mm air slot located near the tip of the antenna to produce an adequate amount of heat. The aims of this study are (1) to use the vector/edge finite element method (VFEM) to simulate the electromagnetic wave propagation to obtain the specific absorption rate, which is an input for the bio-heat equation that predicts the heat distribution in the liver tissue during MWA treatment, and (2) to compare the computational costs of VFEM and the finite element method (FEM) when different types of input powers and dielectric properties are used in the wave propagation equation. This study claims that the accuracy level increases marginally with less computation cost while using VFEM for temperature-dependent wave propagation equation.