A comment to improve tumor-treating fields therapy

Abstract

<abstract> <p>Recent investigations have shown that special frequencies and intensities of electromagnetic waves could control the differentiations of some types of cells. Using this fact, tumor-treating fields (TTFields) therapy has been proposed as a technique which uses alternating electric fields of intermediate frequency (~100–500 kHz) and low intensity (1–3 V/cm) to disrupt the cell divisions of tumors. However, this technique may have harmful effects on ionic liquids around normal cells. For example, electrodes could induce an extra electrical current within blood vessels. To observe these effects, we connected electrodes to a slide that includes water and some extra ions and put them under a 1000× microscope. We found that some ions, microbes and cells move toward negative electrons and some go away. These attractions of cells by electrodes could cause the destruction of the brain. We also found some electrical currents within the liquid emerge which absorb or repel water molecules and induce some bubbles. If these types of bubbles arise within the blood vessels, they can exert a force on the membranes of normal cells and destroy them. To avoid these problems, we suggest that electrodes should be replaced by some electromagnetic sender/receiver which emits some special frequencies. These frequencies could be absorbed only by blood vessels around the tumors because these vessels may be created only to provide the needed food for tumor cells and thus have a different potential and electrical current as compared to vessels around normal cells. Thus, these tumor vessels could act as the antenna for TTFields.</p> </abstract>