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Medical and health sciences
- Cancer therapy
- Abdominal surgery
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Engineering and technology
- Biomedical modelling
- Biofluid mechanics
- Tissue and organ biomechanics
Patients with cancer located in the peritoneal cavity are at risk of peritoneal metastases (PM), which are caused by detachment of cancer cells from the primary tumor. Treatment of PM remains a considerable challenge and unfulfilled clinical need in contemporary oncology practice. Compared to parenchymatous metastatic locations such as the liver, PM respond poorly to treatment. Intraperitoneal aerosolized drug delivery (IPADD) emerged as a novel approach for delivering drugs intraperitoneally to treat patients with PM using laparoscopy. During IPADD, chemotherapeutics are nebulized as aerosol droplets. Evaluation of aerosols behavior during IPADD relies on few preclinical and clinical studies, which are very limited. Therefore, a technique that is able to non-invasively assess droplet behavior is highly desirable. We aim to optimize the IPADD technique to improve the efficacy of the preoperative treatment for patients with PM. We will develop a coupled numerical- experimental approach merging the principles of 3D computational modeling, in vitro/ex vivo/large animal experiments, and the high-speed imaging. This envisioned approach will deliver unique insights in the links between the technical aspects and the clinical results of IPADD which may reveal new possibilities to maximally affect tumorous tissue. In the end, we will present a comprehensive analysis of IPADD and develop reliable and robust guidelines for surgical oncologists and research centers.