The effects of metallic implants on electroporation therapies: Feasibility of irreversible electroporation for brachytherapy salvage

Abstract

Purpose: Electroporation-based therapies deliver brief electric pulses into a targeted volume to destabilize cellular membranes. Nonthermal irreversible electroporation (IRE) provides focal ablation with effects dependent on the electric field distribution, which changes in heterogeneous environments. It should be determined if highly conductive metallic implants in targeted regions, such as radiotherapy brachytherapy seeds in prostate tissue, will alter treatment outcomes. Theoretical and experimental models determine the impact of prostate brachytherapy seeds on IRE treatments. Materials and Methods: This study delivered IRE pulses in nonanimal, as well as in ex vivo and in vivo tissue, wi..