Numerical study of gold nanoparticles dynamics in laser-induced hyperthermia therapy

Damage of the normal tissue is a serious concenrn in cancer treatment. Hyperthermia by laser has been considered as a safe cancer treatments methods with lower harmful effects on normal tissues. Using nanoparticles in cancer treatment has improved laser therapy, which is based on a selective cell targeting method to localize cell damages. Metallic nanoparticles such as gold, silver, and copper have been recognized to highly interact with laser beam because of surface plasmon resonance phenomena. However, due to toxicity of silver and copper, gold nanoparticle have received great interest in nanomedicine particularly as a protein denaturizing agent applied to the targeted cells. On the other hand, interaction between laser beam and nanoparticles depends on laser properties and particle characteristics. In this study, we have numerically evaluated the effects of different parameters in the laser beam and particle, to facilitate the accurate controlling of laser-induced hyperthermia process.