An Israeli researcher is testing a new treatment to destroy glioblastoma mulitforme (GBM), the most common and aggressive type of primary brain tumor, according to the Israel21c website. The new treatment, invented by Professor Emeritus Yoram Palti, MD, Ph.D., of Haifa’s Technion University, uses electrical fields to kill the cancer cells by interfering with the division of the cells, thus arresting the growth of the tumor. Initial research findings reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) journal showed that Dr. Palti’s new treatment more than doubled the median overall survival rates of GBM victims. “The median time for the cancer to recur after chemotherapy is around 10 weeks, and the overall survival rate is less than six months,” Dr. Paltiel told Israel21c. “In our trials, we’ve more than doubled those two parameters.” The treatment involves the use of a special device that sends continuous electrical fields to the tumor site through electrodes attached to the scalp. The device, which is powered by a small battery pack, is worn by the patient in a special over-the-shoulder bag. The device, called the Novo-TTF (an abbreviation of Dr. Palti’s company, NovoCure, and the words, ‘Tumor-Treating Fields’), was tested on 10 patients for a total of 280 weeks. Because the early findings of the study were positive, a larger-scale study is now being conducted at 12 cancer centers in the U.S. and eight others in Europe. “This is a new general modality for treating cancer,” commented Dr. Palti. “In a way, it’s similar to radiation, it’s physical in the same sense, but the major difference is that there are no side effects.” Dr. Palti is optimistic that the treatment may also prove effective against other forms of cancers. “So far, at least in the lab, all types of tumors have been sensitive to the treatment,” he said. For more information, click here .
