Alternating electric field therapy

This article is about a specific type of electric field therapy used for treatment of cancer. For other uses of electromagnetic fields in medicine, see Electromagnetic therapy.
Alternating electric field therapy
Other namesTumor treating fields
Specialtyoncology

Alternating electric field therapy, sometimes called tumor treating fields (TTFields), is a type of electromagnetic field therapy using low-intensity, intermediate frequency electrical fields to treat cancer.[1][2][3][4] TTFields disrupt cell division by disrupting dipole alignment and inducing dielectrophoresis of critical molecules and organelles during mitosis.[5][6][7] These anti-mitotic effects lead to cell death, slowing cancer growth.[5][6][7] A TTField-treatment device manufactured by the Israeli company Novocure is approved in the United States and Europe for the treatment of newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma, malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM), and is undergoing clinical trials for several other tumor types.[8][9] Despite earning regulatory approval, the efficacy of this technology remains controversial among medical experts.[2][10]

  1. ^ Rominiyi O, Vanderlinden A, Clenton SJ, Bridgewater C, Al-Tamimi Y, Collis SJ (2020-11-04). "Tumour treating fields therapy for glioblastoma: current advances and future directions". British Journal of Cancer. 124 (4): 697–709. doi:10.1038/s41416-020-01136-5. ISSN 1532-1827. PMC 7884384. PMID 33144698.
  2. ^ a b "NCCN Guidelines for CNS cancers" (PDF). Retrieved 4 August 2013.
  3. ^ Kirkpatrick J (October 2014). "Recurrent Malignant Gliomas". Seminars in Radiation Oncology. 24 (4): 289–298. doi:10.1016/j.semradonc.2014.06.006. PMC 4522935. PMID 25219814.
  4. ^ Johnson D (August 2014). "Medical Management of High-Grade Astrocytoma: Current and Emerging Therapies". Seminars in Oncology. 41 (4): 511–522. doi:10.1053/j.seminoncol.2014.06.010. PMID 25173143.
  5. ^ a b Tuszynski JA, Wenger C, Friesen DE, Preto J (2016-11-12). "An Overview of Sub-Cellular Mechanisms Involved in the Action of TTFields". International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health. 13 (11): 1128. doi:10.3390/ijerph13111128. ISSN 1660-4601. PMC 5129338. PMID 27845746.
  6. ^ a b Mun EJ, Babiker HM, Weinberg U, Kirson ED, Von Hoff DD (2018-01-15). "Tumor-Treating Fields: A Fourth Modality in Cancer Treatment". Clinical Cancer Research. 24 (2): 266–275. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-17-1117. ISSN 1078-0432. PMID 28765323. S2CID 36674866.
  7. ^ a b Hottinger AF, Pacheco P, Stupp R (October 2016). "Tumor treating fields: a novel treatment modality and its use in brain tumors". Neuro-Oncology. 18 (10): 1338–1349. doi:10.1093/neuonc/now182. ISSN 1523-5866. PMC 5035531. PMID 27664860.
  8. ^ "ClinicalTrials.gov results-Novocure". ClinicalTrials.gov. Retrieved 26 December 2014.
  9. ^ "Using Tumor Treating Fields to Combat Mesothelioma". Mesothelioma Center - Vital Services for Cancer Patients & Families. Retrieved 2023-12-04.
  10. ^ Wick W (25 February 2016). "TTFields: where does all the skepticism come from?". Neuro-Oncology. 18 (3): 303–305. doi:10.1093/neuonc/now012. PMC 4767251. PMID 26917587.