The Effects of Magnetic Nanoparticles on Magnetic Fluid Hyperthermia

Magnetic fluid hyperthermia (MFH) is a cancer treatment in which biocompatible magnetic nanoparticles are dispersed into a tumor and heated by an external AC magnetic field. Over a period of time, the tumor cells are locally heated, leading to hyperthermia which damages and kills the tumor cells with minimal damage to the surrounding normal tissue. The applied magnetic field must be high enough to induce hyperthermia for a specified magnetic particle concentration in the tumor but also lies within the safe limit for human exposure. Six materials, barium ferrite, cobalt ferrite, iron-cobalt, iron-platinum, magnetite and maghemite, are considered as candidates for MFH use. We find that fcc iron-platinum, magnetite and maghemite generate useful treatment temperatures and, when included in a ferrofluid, can produce sufficient and effective MFH for which optimal conditions are explored.