Amplitude-modulated electromagnetic fields for the treatment of cancer: discovery of tumor-specific frequencies and assessment of a novel therapeutic approach
Alexandre Barbault, Frederico P Costa, Brad Bottger, Reginald F Munden, Fin Bomholt, Niels Kuster, Boris Pasche, Alexandre Barbault, Frederico P Costa, Brad Bottger, Reginald F Munden, Fin Bomholt, Niels Kuster, Boris Pasche
Abstract
Purpose: Because in vitro studies suggest that low levels of electromagnetic fields may modify cancer cell growth, we hypothesized that systemic delivery of a combination of tumor-specific frequencies may have a therapeutic effect. We undertook this study to identify tumor-specific frequencies and test the feasibility of administering such frequencies to patients with advanced cancer.
Patients and methods: We examined patients with various types of cancer using a noninvasive biofeedback method to identify tumor-specific frequencies. We offered compassionate treatment to some patients with advanced cancer and limited therapeutic options.
Results: We examined a total of 163 patients with a diagnosis of cancer and identified a total of 1524 frequencies ranging from 0.1 Hz to 114 kHz. Most frequencies (57-92%) were specific for a single tumor type. Compassionate treatment with tumor-specific frequencies was offered to 28 patients. Three patients experienced grade 1 fatigue during or immediately after treatment. There were no NCI grade 2, 3 or 4 toxicities. Thirteen patients were evaluable for response. One patient with hormone-refractory breast cancer metastatic to the adrenal gland and bones had a complete response lasting 11 months. One patient with hormone-refractory breast cancer metastatic to liver and bones had a partial response lasting 13.5 months. Four patients had stable disease lasting for +34.1 months (thyroid cancer metastatic to lung), 5.1 months (non-small cell lung cancer), 4.1 months (pancreatic cancer metastatic to liver) and 4.0 months (leiomyosarcoma metastatic to liver).
Conclusion: Cancer-related frequencies appear to be tumor-specific and treatment with tumor-specific frequencies is feasible, well tolerated and may have biological efficacy in patients with advanced cancer.
Trial registration: clinicaltrials.gov identifier NCT00805337.
Figures
References
- Reite M, Higgs L, Lebet JP, Barbault A, Rossel C, Kuster N, Dafni U, Amato D, Pasche B. Sleep Inducing Effect of Low Energy Emission Therapy. Bioelectromagnetics. 1994;15:67–75. doi: 10.1002/bem.2250150110.
- Lebet JP, Barbault A, Rossel C, Tomic Z, Reite M, Higgs L, Dafni U, Amato D, Pasche B. Electroencephalographic changes following low energy emission therapy. Ann Biomed Eng. 1996;24:424–429. doi: 10.1007/BF02660891.
- Higgs L, Reite M, Barbault A, Lebet JP, Rossel C, Amato D, Dafni U, Pasche B. Subjective and Objective Relaxation Effects of Low Energy Emission Therapy. Stress Medicine. 1994;10:5–13. doi: 10.1002/smi.2460100103.
- Pasche B, Erman M, Mitler M. Diagnosis and Management of Insomnia. N Engl J Med. 1990;323:486–487.
- Pasche B, Erman M, Hayduk R, Mitler M, Reite M, Higgs L, Dafni U, Rossel C, Kuster N, Barbault A, Lebet J-P. Effects of Low Energy Emission Therapy in chronic psychophysiological insomnia. Sleep. 1996;19:327–336.
- Pasche B, Barbault A. Low-Energy Emission Therapy: Current Status and Future Directions. In: Rosch PJ, Markov MS, editor. Bioelectromagnetic Medicine. New York: Marcel Dekker, Inc; 2003. pp. 321–327.
- Amato D, Pasche B. An evaluation of the safety of low energy emission therapy [published erratum appears in Compr Ther 1994;20(12):681] Compr Ther. 1993;19:242–247.
- Goodman LS, Wintrobe MM, Dameshek W, Goodman MJ, Gilman A, McLennan MT. Landmark article Sept. 21, 1946: Nitrogen mustard therapy. Use of methyl-bis(beta-chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride and tris(beta-chloroethyl)amine hydrochloride for Hodgkin's disease, lymphosarcoma, leukemia and certain allied and miscellaneous disorders. By Louis S. Goodman, Maxwell M. Wintrobe, William Dameshek, Morton J. Goodman, Alfred Gilman and Margaret T. McLennan. JAMA: The Journal of the American Medical Association. 1984;251:2255–2261. doi: 10.1001/jama.251.17.2255.
- Kavet R. EMF and current cancer concepts. Bioelectromagnetics. 1996;17:339–357. doi: 10.1002/(SICI)1521-186X(1996)17:5<339::AID-BEM1>;2-4.
- Kirson ED, Gurvich Z, Schneiderman R, Dekel E, Itzhaki A, Wasserman Y, Schatzberger R, Palti Y. Disruption of Cancer Cell Replication by Alternating Electric Fields. Cancer Res. 2004;64:3288–3295. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-04-0083.
- Kirson ED, Dbaly V, Tovarys F, Vymazal J, Soustiel JF, Itzhaki A, Mordechovich D, Steinberg-Shapira S, Gurvich Z, Schneiderman R, Wasserman Y, Salzberg M, Ryffel B, Goldsher D, Dekel E, Palti Y. Alternating electric fields arrest cell proliferation in animal tumor models and human brain tumors. PNAS. 2007;104:10152–10157. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0702916104.
- ICNIRP Guidelines for limiting exposure to time-varying electric, magnetic and electromagnetic fields (up to 300 GHz) Health Physics. 1998;74:494–522.
- Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers . Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz, IEEE C95.1-2005. New York, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers; 2005.
- Therasse P, Arbuck SG, Eisenhauer EA, Wanders J, Kaplan RS, Rubinstein L, Verweij J, Van Glabbeke M, van Oosterom A, Christian MC, Gwyther SG. New Guidelines to Evaluate the Response to Treatment in Solid Tumors. J Natl Cancer Inst. 2000;92:205–216. doi: 10.1093/jnci/92.3.205.
- Costa F, de Oliveira AC, Meirelles R, Zanesco T, Surjan R, Chammas M, Barbault A, Pasche B. A phase II study of amplitude-modulated electromagnetic fields in the treatment of advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) J Clin Oncol (Meeting Abstracts) 2007;25:15155.
- Adey WR. Biological effects of electromagnetic fields. J Cell Biochem. 1993;51:410–416.
Source: PubMed