Alternating Electrical Fields in Brain Tumor Therapy

A randomized, phase III study demonstrates prolongation of survival in patients with recently diagnosed glioblastoma following initial chemoradiotherapy.

A proprietary device called Optune has garnered recent interest as a novel antitumor therapy. Transducer arrays placed on the shaved scalp and attached to a portable device and battery pack create alternating low-intensity tumor-treating fields (TTFs). In preclinical studies, TTFs disrupted the mitotic spindle and caused tumor cell apoptosis. In a randomized study, TTF alone compared with chemotherapy in patients with recurrent glioblastoma (GBM) improved quality of life but not survival.

In the current study, researchers randomized 695 patients with stable GBM after initial chemoradiotherapy 2:1 to TTF in combination with temozolomide or temozolomide alone. The manufacturer-funded study was terminated at a prespecified interim analysis beca…

Reviewing Author

Andrew D. Norden, MD

Alternating Electrical Fields in Brain Tumor Therapy

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Reviewing Author