Speakers

Tumor Treating Fields (TTF): A Non-invasive Technique for Adults Glioblastoma
1108 15:50-16:00
Neuro-oncology/305
Despite advanced surgery, radiation, and evolving anti-cancer treatment have improved clinical outcomes for cancer patients, a significant unmet need to prolong survival and improve quality of life remains. Tumor-treating fields (TTFields) is a radical new approach to cancer treatment using electric fields tuned to specific frequencies to interfere solid cancer cell division. Electric fields have an anti-mitotic effect on cell division by interaction with polar molecules such as microtubule and disrupting the mitotic spindle, which would inhibit cell proliferation. TTFields therapy is low-intensity (1-3 V/cm), intermediate-frequency (100-300 kHz), and alternating electric fields that would slow and reverse tumor growth. Preclinical research demonstrated that inhibition of cell proliferation and accelerated cell death by TTFields are optimal at low-intensity and intermediate-frequency, depending on the cancer cell type—the mitotic spindle is best disrupted at 150 kHz in pancreatic cancer and NSCLC, and at 200 kHz in GBM. Mitosis in non-cancerous cells is typically disrupted at frequencies of about 50 kHz, which minimizes the potential side effects of TTFields on non-proliferating cell types. This therapy is administered through a non-invasive portable device that delivers continuous electric fields via transducer arrays placed on the patient’s skin direct the fields to the desired region of the body. It is an alternative therapeutic modality for solid tumors treatment. FDA has approved TTFields for adjuvant treatment of recurrent and newly diagnosed GBM in 2011 and 2015, respectively.  TTFields therapy became the first breakthrough treatment for GBM in the past 10 years after bevacizumab was approved by FDA for patients with recurrent GBM in 2009. In addition, TTFields therapy was also approved by FDA for patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) in 2019. The advantages of TTFields includes non-invasive anti-tumor effect, superior clinical benefit in combination with chemotherapy, and mild side effect profile without cumulative systematic toxicity.