Health & Medicine
Electromagnetic Waves Help Treat Glioblastoma Patients
Kathleen Lees
First Posted: Dec 17, 2015 04:46 PM EST
Low-intensity electromagnetic waves prolonged survival in brain tumor patients--particularly those with glioblastoma--who were already treated with chemotherapy, according to a recent study.
The therapy, known as tumor-treating fields, uses a cap with insulated electrodes that line the interior. When placed on a shaved patient's head, electrodes in the cap deliver low-intensity alternating electric fields to the brain, which researchers believe can halt cancer progression or even stop it by interfering with cancer cells' ability to divide.
"This treatment may soon become a valuable addition to many situations where improved local tumor control by a noninvasive treatment is of importance," said lead researcher Dr. Roger Stupp, chairman of the department of oncology and cancer center at the University Hospital Zurich, in a news release.
The study specifically focused on patients suffering from glioblastoma--a malignant tumor that affects the brain or spine, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. Researchers randomly assigned 695 patients with glioblastoma to receive a follow-up treatment after completing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. They treated 466 with TTFields and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide and 229 with temozolomide alone.
Patients who received tumor treating fields were exposed to the therapy for about 18 hours a day via four transducer arrays placed on the scalp and Novocure's portable device, according to UPI. All participants received temozolomide for 5 days throughout each 28-day treatment cycle.
Findings revealed that those who received the therapy and chemotherapy drug remained cancer-free for about three months longer than those who only received the chemotherapy follow-up. (About 7.1 months compared to four, researchers found.)
Overall survival was also longer in patients with both treatments, at 20.5 months compared to 15.6 months.
Patients reported few side effects from the treatment, with a rash from the cap being the most common. The treatment is already approved in the United States and with future research, may be helpful at treating other types of cancer.
The study is published (Dec. 15) in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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TagsHealth, Human, Electromagnetic, Glioblastoma, patients, Journal of the American Medical Association, Cancer-Free, Cancer, Follow-Up, Treatment, Cycle, Future, Study, united states, JAMA ©2024 ScienceWorldReport.com All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission. The window to the world of science news.
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First Posted: Dec 17, 2015 04:46 PM EST
Low-intensity electromagnetic waves prolonged survival in brain tumor patients--particularly those with glioblastoma--who were already treated with chemotherapy, according to a recent study.
The therapy, known as tumor-treating fields, uses a cap with insulated electrodes that line the interior. When placed on a shaved patient's head, electrodes in the cap deliver low-intensity alternating electric fields to the brain, which researchers believe can halt cancer progression or even stop it by interfering with cancer cells' ability to divide.
"This treatment may soon become a valuable addition to many situations where improved local tumor control by a noninvasive treatment is of importance," said lead researcher Dr. Roger Stupp, chairman of the department of oncology and cancer center at the University Hospital Zurich, in a news release.
The study specifically focused on patients suffering from glioblastoma--a malignant tumor that affects the brain or spine, according to the American Brain Tumor Association. Researchers randomly assigned 695 patients with glioblastoma to receive a follow-up treatment after completing chemotherapy and radiation therapy. They treated 466 with TTFields and the chemotherapy drug temozolomide and 229 with temozolomide alone.
Patients who received tumor treating fields were exposed to the therapy for about 18 hours a day via four transducer arrays placed on the scalp and Novocure's portable device, according to UPI. All participants received temozolomide for 5 days throughout each 28-day treatment cycle.
Findings revealed that those who received the therapy and chemotherapy drug remained cancer-free for about three months longer than those who only received the chemotherapy follow-up. (About 7.1 months compared to four, researchers found.)
Overall survival was also longer in patients with both treatments, at 20.5 months compared to 15.6 months.
Patients reported few side effects from the treatment, with a rash from the cap being the most common. The treatment is already approved in the United States and with future research, may be helpful at treating other types of cancer.
The study is published (Dec. 15) in the Journal of the American Medical Association.
Related Articles
Brain Tumor Cure: Brain Cancer 'Achilles Heel' Disrupted With Protein In Glioblastomas
For more great science stories and general news, please visit our sister site, Headlines and Global News (HNGN).
See Now: NASA's Juno Spacecraft's Rendezvous With Jupiter's Mammoth Cyclone