Table 2.
EMF tumor treatment methods used in clinical oncology or at the research stage
| Technology /modality | Physical characteristics | Action mechanism | Condition for treatment | Clinical studiesa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hyperthermia/ radiofrequency ablation (RFA) | Invasive treatment during surgical procedure using a needle or a RF-EMF probe. | Tumor necrosis via thermal ablation | Mainly used for the treatment of liver metastases. | + |
| Nanoparticles assisted radio frequency ablation (NP-RFA) | Non-invasive loading of tumors with nanoparticles, which are externally exposed to RF-EMF. The generated heat inducing an inside-out hyperthermia. | Tumor necrosis via thermal ablation by improved efficacy of thermal damage. | NP-RFA in combination with radiotherapy for treatment of recurring glioblastoma and recurring breast cancer. | − |
| Tumor treating fields (TTFields) | Invasive application of electrodes to the skin, 200 kHz electric fields, for 18 hrs daily. | Mitotic spindle disruption, anti-proliferative effect of cancer cells. Molecular mechanism is unknown. | Treatment of glioblastoma following tumor resection and radiation therapy. | − |
| Tumor specific frequency modulated RF-frequency | Non-invasive treatment by a spoon-shaped antenna in the mouth; 27.12 MHz carrier frequency modulated with cancer specific frequencies of 1873.5 Hz, 2221.3 Hz, 6350.3 Hz, and 10,456.4 Hz; SAR <2 W/kg; whole body exposure for 3 hrs/day. | Mitotic spindle disruption, anti-proliferative effect of cancer cells. Molecular mechanism is unknown. | Treatment of advanced hepatocarcinoma and its metastases. | − |
| Electroporation (EP) | Electric fields; 300–400 mV for <1 ms in vitro; train of eight EPs of 100 μs; invasive 1000 V/cm; non-invasive 1300 V/cm. | Induction of tumor/cell death by the formation of aqueous pores in the lipid bilayer. | Treatment of solid tumors. | + |
Note: aPresence (+) or absence (-) of randomized clinical trials.