Bibliometric Analysis of Microwave Antenna-Based Hyperthermia Research: Insights for Physics and Biomedical Education
Keywords:
Bibliometric Analysis, Hyperthermia Therapy, Microwave Antenna, Physics Education, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR)Abstract
Breast cancer remains a major global health challenge, requiring more precise and minimally invasive therapeutic approaches. Microwave-based hyperthermia, which utilizes antennas to generate controlled heat distribution in tumor tissue, has emerged as a promising solution. However, research developments in this field remain fragmented and lack systematic mapping. Therefore, this study aims to analyze research trends and the knowledge structure of microwave antenna-based hyperthermia using a bibliometric approach, and to explore its potential contributions to physics and biomedical education. Data were collected from the Scopus database for the period 2000–2026, yielding 100 relevant publications. The analysis includes annual scientific production, contributions by countries, authors, and institutions, as well as citation impact and collaboration patterns. The results show a significant increase in publications after 2010, with a peak in 2019–2021, and a dominance of contributions from the United States, China, and Turkey. Despite this growth, disparities between productivity and citation impact persist, and collaboration networks remain relatively fragmented. Beyond mapping scientific developments, this study highlights the relevance of key concepts such as electromagnetic wave propagation, Specific Absorption Rate (SAR), and thermal energy transfer as valuable resources for interdisciplinary learning. These findings demonstrate the potential of this field to support scientific literacy, critical thinking, and curriculum development in physics and biomedical education.
References
Andreozzi, A., Brunese, L., Iasiello, M., Tucci, C., & Peter Vanoli, G. (2019). Bioheat transfer in a spherical biological tissue: a comparison among various models. Journal of Physics: Conference Series, 1224(1), 012001. https://doi.org/10.1088/1742-6596/1224/1/012001
Besse, H., Barten-van Rijbroek, A., van der Wurff-Jacobs, K., Bos, C., Moonen, C., & Deckers, R. (2019). Tumor drug distribution after local drug delivery by hyperthermia, in vivo. Cancers, 11(10), 1512. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers11101512
Blanco-Fernandez, G., Blanco-Fernandez, B., Fernández-Ferreiro, A., & Otero-Espinar, F. (2023). Bringing lipidic lyotropic liquid crystal technology into biomedicine. Trends in Pharmacological Sciences, 44(1), 7–10. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tips.2022.03.004
Brower, J. V., Blitzer, G. C., Vapiwala, N., & Harari, P. M. (2021). Declining Medical Student Interest In Radiation Oncology: Wake-Up Call With A Silver Lining? International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics, 110(2), 274–277. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrobp.2021.02.035
Converse, M., Bond, E. J., Hagness, S. C., & VanVeen, B. D. (2004). Ultrawide-Band Microwave Space–Time Beamforming For Hyperthermia Treatment Of Breast Cancer: A Computational Feasibility Study. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 52(8), 1876–1889. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2004.832012
Converse, M., Bond, E. J., Veen, B. D., & Hagness, C. (2006). A computational study of ultra-wideband versus narrowband microwave hyperthermia for breast cancer treatment. IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques, 54(5), 2169–2180. https://doi.org/10.1109/TMTT.2006.872790
Dulińska-Litewka, J., Felkle, D., Dykas, K., Handziuk, Z., Krzysztofik, M., & Gąsiorkiewicz, B. (2022). The role of cyclins in the development and progression of prostate cancer. Biomedicine & Pharmacotherapy, 155, 113742. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.biopha.2022.113742
Gardner, R. A., Vargas, H. I., Block, J. B., Vogel, C. L., Fenn, A. J., Kuehl, G. V., & Doval, M. (2002). Focused microwave phased array thermotherapy for primary breast cancer. Annals of Surgical Oncology, 9(4), 326–332. https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02573866
Gas, P. (2017). Optimization of multi-slot coaxial antennas for microwave thermotherapy based on S11-parameter analysis. Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, 37(1), 78–93. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bbe.2016.10.001
Gavazzi, S., van Lier, A. L. H. M. W., Zachiu, C., Jansen, E., Lagendijk, J. J. W., Stalpers, L. J. A., Crezee, H., & Kok, H. P. (2020). Advanced patient-specific hyperthermia treatment planning. International Journal of Hyperthermia, 37(1), 992–1007. https://doi.org/10.1080/02656736.2020.1806361
Gu, Q., & Zhu, L. (2024). Heating induced nanoparticle migration and enhanced delivery in tumor treatment using nanotechnology. Bioengineering, 11(9), 900. https://doi.org/10.3390/bioengineering11090900
Gunduz, M., Gunduz, E., Tamagawa, S., Enomoto, K., & Hotomi, M. (2021). Cancer stem cells in oropharyngeal cancer. Cancers, 13(15), 3878. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13153878
Habtegiorgis, S. D., Getahun, D. S., Telayneh, A. T., Birhanu, M. Y., Feleke, T. M., Mingude, A. B., & Getacher, L. (2022). Ethiopian women’s breast cancer self-examination practices and associated factors. A systematic review and meta-analysis. Cancer Epidemiology, 78, 102128. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.canep.2022.102128
Hansen, C. R., Crijns, W., Hussein, M., Rossi, L., Gallego, P., Verbakel, W., Unkelbach, J., Thwaites, D., & Heijmen, B. (2021). response to the letter to the editor “application of the rating score: In regards to Hansen et al.” Radiotherapy and Oncology, 158, 311. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2021.01.012
Huang, H., Ali, A., Liu, Y., Xie, H., Ullah, S., Roy, S., Song, Z., Guo, B., & Xu, J. (2023). Advances in image-guided drug delivery for antibacterial therapy. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews, 192, 114634. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addr.2022.114634
Ibrahim, M., Shimizu, T., Ando, H., Ishima, Y., Elgarhy, O. H., Sarhan, H. A., Hussein, A. K., & Ishida, T. (2023). Investigation of anti-PEG antibody response to PEG-containing cosmetic products in mice. Journal of Controlled Release, 354, 260–267. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2023.01.012
Iero, D. A. M., Crocco, L., & Isernia, T. (2014). Thermal and Microwave Constrained Focusing for Patient-Specific Breast Cancer Hyperthermia: A Robustness Assessment. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 62(2), 814–821. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAP.2013.2293336
Jazrawi, A., Pantiora, E., Abdsaleh, S., Bacovia, D. V., Eriksson, S., Leonhardt, H., Wärnberg, F., & Karakatsanis, A. (2021). Magnetic-guided axillary ultrasound (magus) sentinel lymph node biopsy and mapping in patients with early breast cancer. A Phase 2, Single-Arm Prospective Clinical Trial. Cancers, 13(17), 4285. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13174285
Juel Mortensen, L., Lorenzen, M., Jørgensen, A., Albrethsen, J., Jørgensen, N., Møller, S., Andersson, A.-M., Juul, A., & Blomberg Jensen, M. (2021). Possible relevance of soluble luteinizing hormone receptor during development and adulthood in boys and men. Cancers, 13(6), 1329. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers13061329
Kim, C., Guo, Y., Velalopoulou, A., Leisen, J., Motamarry, A., Ramajayam, K., Aryal, M., Haemmerich, D., & Arvanitis, C. D. (2021). Closed-loop trans-skull ultrasound hyperthermia leads to improved drug delivery from thermosensitive drugs and promotes changes in vascular transport dynamics in brain tumors. Theranostics, 11(15), 7276–7293. https://doi.org/10.7150/thno.54630
Kok, H. P., & Crezee, J. (2021). Hyperthermia treatment planning: Clinical application and ongoing developments. IEEE Journal of Electromagnetics, RF and Microwaves in Medicine and Biology, 5(3), 214–222. https://doi.org/10.1109/JERM.2020.3032838
Lak, A., & Oraizi, H. (2013). Evaluation of SAR distribution in six-layer human head model. International Journal of Antennas and Propagation, 2013, 1–8. https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/580872
Lopresti, A., Acquaviva, C., Boudin, L., Finetti, P., Garnier, S., Aulas, A., Liberatoscioli, M. L., Cabaud, O., Guille, A., de Nonneville, A., Da Costa, Q., Denicolai, E., Pakradouni, J., Goncalves, A., Birnbaum, D., Bertucci, F., & Mamessier, E. (2022). Identification of atypical circulating tumor cells with prognostic value in metastatic breast cancer patients. Cancers, 14(4), 932. https://doi.org/10.3390/cancers14040932
Lyon, P. C., Mannaris, C., Gray, M., Carlisle, R., Gleeson, F. V., Cranston, D., Wu, F., & Coussios, C. C. (2021). Large-volume hyperthermia for safe and cost-effective targeted drug delivery using a clinical ultrasound-guided focused ultrasound device. Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology, 47(4), 982–997. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ultrasmedbio.2020.12.008
Nguyen, P. T., Abbosh, A., & Crozier, S. (2015). Microwave hyperthermia for breast cancer treatment using electromagnetic and thermal focusing tested on realistic breast models and antenna arrays. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 63(10), 4426–4434. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAP.2015.2463681
Nguyen, P. T., Abbosh, A., & Crozier, S. (2017a). Three-dimensional microwave hyperthermia for breast cancer treatment in a realistic environment using particle swarm optimization. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 64(6), 1335–1344. https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2016.2602233
Nguyen, P. T., Abbosh, A. M., & Crozier, S. (2017b). 3-D focused microwave hyperthermia for breast cancer treatment with experimental validation. IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, 65(7), 3489–3500. https://doi.org/10.1109/TAP.2017.2700164
Pandey, H. R. (2024). A comparative study of steady-state bioheat transfer equations in cylindrical living tissue: Analytical and FDM solutions. Journal of Advanced College of Engineering and Management, 9, 105–113. https://doi.org/10.3126/jacem.v9i1.71429
Pinto, S., Hosseini, M., Buckley, S. T., Yin, W., Garousi, J., Gräslund, T., van Ijzendoorn, S., Santos, H. A., & Sarmento, B. (2024). Nanoparticles targeting the intestinal Fc receptor enhance intestinal cellular trafficking of semaglutide. Journal of Controlled Release, 366, 621–636. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jconrel.2024.01.015
Prelević, M., Dopsaj, M., & Stančin, S. (2023). Timing in lower limb complex movement tests for dancesport athletes: Relation between FitLight trainer and IMU measurements. Sensors, 23(3), 1456. https://doi.org/10.3390/s23031456
Sayed, Z. S., Hieba, E. M., Batakoushy, H. A., Rashdan, H. R. M., Ismail, E., Elkatlawy, S. M., & Elzwawy, A. (2024). Cancer treatment approaches within the frame of hyperthermia, drug delivery systems, and biosensors: concepts and future potentials. RSC Advances, 14(53), 39297–39324. https://doi.org/10.1039/D4RA06992G
Sharma, N., Khanna, R., Singh, H. S., & Rai, M. K. (2025). Experimental analysis of metamaterial integrated applicator for hyperthermia cancer treatment. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 18771. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-025-01599-7
Singla, alka, Marwaha, A., Marwaha, S., & Chavali, M. (2021). Comparative Investigation of Different Configurations of Graphene-Based Superficial Microwave Hyperthermia. https://doi.org/10.21203/rs.3.rs-190756/v1
Stang, J., Haynes, M., Carson, P., & Moghaddam, M. (2012). A preclinical system prototype for focused microwave thermal therapy of the breast. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering, 59(9), 2431–2438. https://doi.org/10.1109/TBME.2012.2199492
Sui, Y., Zhang, L., Sun, Z., Yi, W., & Wang, M. (2024). Research on coal and gangue recognition based on the improved yolov7-tiny target detection algorithm. Sensors, 24(2), 456. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24020456
Sung, H., Ferlay, J., Siegel, R. L., Laversanne, M., Soerjomataram, I., Jemal, A., & Bray, F. (2021). Global cancer statistics 2020: GLOBOCAN estimates of incidence and mortality worldwide for 36 cancers in 185 countries. CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians, 71(3), 209–249. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21660
Ware, M. J., Krzykawska-Serda, M., Chak-Shing Ho, J., Newton, J., Suki, S., Law, J., Nguyen, L., Keshishian, V., Serda, M., Taylor, K., Curley, S. A., & Corr, S. J. (2017). Optimizing non-invasive radiofrequency hyperthermia treatment for improving drug delivery in 4T1 mouse breast cancer model. Scientific Reports, 7(1), 43961. https://doi.org/10.1038/srep43961
Yang, B., Chen, X., Li, J., Zhu, J., Men, K., & Dai, J. (2022). A feasible method to evaluate deformable image registration with deep learning–based segmentation. Physica Medica, 95, 50–56. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejmp.2022.01.006
Yang, M. Y., Tang, G. H., Sheng, Q., Guo, L., & Zhang, H. (2022). Atomic-level sintering mechanism of silica aerogels at high temperatures: structure evolution and solid thermal conductivity. International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 199, 123456. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijheatmasstransfer.2022.123456
Yao, F., Pu, C., & Zhang, Z. (2021). Task duplication-based scheduling algorithm for budget-constrained workflows in cloud computing. IEEE Access, 9, 37262–37272. https://doi.org/10.1109/ACCESS.2021.3063456
Yue, M., Xue, X., Wang, Z., Lambo, R. L., Zhao, W., Xie, Y., Cai, J., & Qin, W. (2022). Dose prediction via distance-guided deep learning: Initial development for nasopharyngeal carcinoma radiotherapy. Radiotherapy and Oncology, 170, 198–204. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.radonc.2022.03.012
Zastrow, E., Hagness, S. C., & Van Veen, B. D. (2010). 3D computational study of non-invasive patient-specific microwave hyperthermia treatment of breast cancer. Physics in Medicine and Biology, 55(13), 3611–3629. https://doi.org/10.1088/0031-9155/55/13/003
Zhang, H., & Zhou, Y. (2023). A neural network-based weighted voting algorithm for multi-target classification in WSN. Sensors, 24(1), 123. https://doi.org/10.3390/s24010123
Zheng, S.-Y., Chen, C.-Y., Qi, W.-X., Cai, G., Xu, C., Cai, R., Qian, X.-F., Shen, K.-W., Cao, L., & Chen, J.-Y. (2023). The influence of axillary surgery and radiotherapeutic strategy on the risk of lymphedema and upper extremity dysfunction in early breast cancer patients. The Breast, 68, 142–148. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.breast.2023.02.001
