Comparison of Antennas Operating at 2.4 GHz for Microwave Hyperthermia Treatment of Breast Cancer

Breast cancer remains one of the most common cancers affecting women globally. While traditional treatment methods often involve chemotherapy and radiation therapy, microwave hyperthermia presents a promising complementary approach by enhancing the effectiveness of these modalities. This study investigates three antenna designs operating at 2.4 GHz, applied to four-layer breast models with varying sizes and tumor locations. The results from these three unitary excited antennas demonstrate that the tumor can reach temperatures of 42 °C within 30 seconds to 4 minutes, while the temperature of the highly conductive skin tissue varies between 43 °C and 60 °C. These findings suggest that the choice of antenna is critical not only for effective target heating but also for preserving healthy tissue. Additionally, a trade-off was observed between treatment time and the safety of surrounding healthy tissue in a fixed antenna input power study.