Focal laser ablation of prostate cancer appears safe and feasible with the patient under local anesthesia in a urology clinic using magnetic resonance imaging-ultrasound fusion for guidance and thermal probes for monitoring. Further development is necessary to refine out of bore focal laser ablation and additional studies are needed to determine appropriate treatment margins and oncologic efficacy.

Thermal ablation is a form of hyperthermia in which oncologic control can be achieved by briefly inducing elevated temperatures, typically in the range 50-80 • C, within a target tissue. Ablation modalities include high intensity focused ultrasound, radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and laser interstitial thermal therapy which are all capable of generating confined zones of tissue destruction, resulting in fewer complications than conventional cancer therapies. Oncologic control is contingent upon achieving predefined coagulation zones; therefore, intraoperative assessment of treatment progress is highly desirable. Consequently, there is a growing interest in the development of ablation monitoring modalities. The first section of this review presents the mechanism of action and common applications of the primary ablation modalities. The following section outlines the state-of -the-art in thermal dosimetry which includes interstitial thermal probes and radiologic imaging. Both the physical mechanism of measurement and clinical or pre-clinical performance are discussed for each ablation modality. Thermal dosimetry must be coupled with a thermal damage model as outlined in Section 4. These models estimate cell death based on temperature-time history and are inherently tissue specific. In the absence of a reliable thermal model, the utility of thermal monitoring is greatly reduced. The final section of this review paper covers technologies that have been developed to directly assess tissue conditions. These approaches include visualization of non-perfused tissue with contrast-enhanced imaging, assessment of tissue mechanical properties using ultrasound and magnetic resonance elastography, and finally interrogation of tissue optical properties with interstitial probes. In summary, monitoring thermal ablation is critical for consistent clinical success and many promising technologies are under development but an optimal solution has yet to achieve widespread adoption.

Purpose: To develop a phantom with optical and thermal properties matched to human prostate. This phantom will provide a platform for the development and characterization of 980nm laser interstitial thermal therapy (LITT) systems. Methods: A polyacrylamide gel was doped with Naphthol Green B, Intralipid, and Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA). The necessary concentration of each ingredient was determined by measuring the optical properties via fluence measurements and light diffusion theory. LITT was then performed under the same conditions as a previous clinical trial in which temperature was monitored via a thermal probe. The thermal data and induced coagulation zone were compared to clinical data to illustrate the similarity between the phantom and patient. LITT was also performed under magnetic resonance thermometry (MRT). Results: The requisite concentrations of Naphthol Green B, Intralipid and BSA were found to be 0.144% (w/v), 8.06% (v/v) and 31.4% (v/v) respectively. In the native state, the absorption coefficient and reduced scattering coefficient (μs′) were found to be 0.66 ± 0.06 cm−1 and 8.27 ± 0.50 cm−1 respectively, with μs′ increasing to 17.63 ± 1.41 cm−1 after coagulation. The thermal response of the phantom was similar to that observed clinically with maximum thermal probe measurements of 64.2°C and 66.9°C respectively. The shape of the induced coagulation zone was qualitatively and quantitatively similar to the MRT zone of elevated temperature and the coagulation zone observed clinically. Conclusions: A phantom which simulates optical and thermal response to 980nm LITT was constructed and demonstrated to be similar to human prostate.

The new Polish science curriculum was launched in the 2008 and currently is being implemented in upper secondary schools. The new general objectives of education, and students’ key competences that should be developed during science classes were defined in that document. Presented competences are in line with competences that might be developed by Inquiry Based Science Education (IBSE). IBSE is currently a popular instructional method in many countries and it is being strongly promoted by European Union. In the article the role of IBSE in the new Polish science curriculum is described and related to the method of ‘Independent Investigation to Acquire Knowledge’ that was formerly known in the national pedagogy. The article also presents results of a survey questionnaire that was conducted among Polish science teachers. The aim of the study was to measure the attitude of Polish teachers, pupils and society to IBSE. Based on the results the current position and degree of implementation of IBSE in Polish schools was estimated. Additionally the positive and negative factors affecting the implementation of IBSE were presented.

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