In conclusion, the proposed framework provides in an accurate automatic segmentation of head and neck tissues in CT images for the generation of 3D patient models, which improves reproducibility, and substantially reduces labor involved in therapy planning.

Accumulating evidence shows that hyperthermia improves head-and-neck cancer treatment. Over the last decade, we introduced a radiofrequency applicator, named HYPERcollar, which enables local heating also of deep locations in this region. Based on clinical experience, we redesigned the HYPERcollar for improved comfort, reproducibility and operator handling. In the current study, we analyze the redesign from an electromagnetic point of view. We show that a higher number of antennas and their repositioning allow for a substantially improved treatment quality. Combined with the much better reproducibility of the water bolus, this will substantially minimize the risk of underexposure. All improvements combined enable a reduction of hot-spot prominence (hot-spot to target SAR quotient) by 32% at an average of 981 W, which drastically reduces the probability for system power to become a treatment limiting source. Moreover, the power deposited in the target selectively can be increased by more than twofold. Hence, we expect that the HYPERcollar redesign currently under construction allows us to double the clinically applied power to the target while reducing the hot-spots, resulting in higher temperatures and, consequently, better clinical outcome.

This study shows that patient-specific temperature simulations combined with tissue property reconstruction from sensory data provides accurate minimally invasive 3D dosimetry during hyperthermia treatments: T50 in sessions without invasive measurements can be predicted with a median accuracy of 0.4 °C.

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