Differential Evolution Optimization of Microwave Focused Hyperthermia Phased Array Excitation for Targeted Breast Cancer Heating

Microwave hyperthermia using the phased array applicator is a non-invasive treatment modality for breast cancer. Hyperthermia treatment planning (HTP) is critical to accurately treating breast cancer and avoiding damage to the patient’s healthy tissue. A global optimization algorithm, differential evolution (DE) algorithm, has been applied to optimize HTP for breast cancer and its ability to improve the treatment effect was proved by electromagnetic (EM) and thermal simulation results. DE algorithm is compared to time reversal (TR) technology, particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, and genetic algorithm (GA) in HTP for breast cancer in terms of convergence rate and treatment results, such as treatment indicators and temperature parameters. The current approaches in breast cancer microwave hyperthermia still have the problem of hotspots in healthy tissue. DE enhances focused microwave energy absorption into the tumor and reduces the relative energy of healthy tissue during hyperthermia treatment. By comparing the treatment results of each objective function used in DE, the DE algorithm with hotspot to target quotient (HTQ) as the objective function has outstanding performance in HTP for breast cancer, which can increase the focused microwave energy of the tumor and decrease the damage to healthy tissue.