Short communication: Errors in the two-dimensional simulation of ferromagnetic implant hyperthermia

An empirical power absorption formula developed by Haider et al. (1991) for thermally self-regulating nickel-silicon ferromagnetic seeds has been incorporated into a three-dimensional patient treatment planning programme to calculate the seed power absorption as a function of seed temperature. The programme has been used to evaluate systematically the accuracy of two-versus three-dimensional simulations for ferromagnetic implant hyperthermia. The results show that two-dimensional simulations can significantly overestimate temperatures. Consequently, three-dimensional simulations are necessary for accurate hyperthermia treatment planning.