System and method for heating the prostate gland to treat and prevent the growthand spread of prostate tumors

摘要

A system and method for safely heating cancerous and pre-cancerous conditions of the prostate, as well as benign and pre-benign lesions (any localized pathological change in the prostate tissue) by irradiation of the prostate tissue with coherent phased array or non-coherent energy is introduced. Microwave energy and prostate compression provide preferential heating of high-water content prostate carcinoma and benign cells in the prostate compared to the surrounding lower-water content normal prostate tissues and tissue surrounding the prostate. To coherently focus the energy, such as microwave energy, in the prostate, the patient's prostate can be compressed via a urethral and rectal balloon and either a single electric-field probe, inserted in the central portion of the prostate, or two noninvasive electric-field sensors on the urethral and rectal walls, can be used to measure a feedback signal to adjust the energy phase delivered to the applicators located in the urethra and in the rectum. The initial energy power delivered to the energy applicators is set to a desired value that is known to produce a desired increase in temperature in the prostate. Temperature feedback sensors are used to measure urethral and rectal wall temperatures during treatment to adjust the energy power delivered to the applicators to avoid overheating the urethral and rectal walls. The energy delivered to the applicators is monitored in real time during treatment, and the treatment is completed when a desired total energy dose has been administered.