Mechanisms and therapeutic effectiveness of pulsed electromagnetic field therapy in oncology.

Author: Vadalà M1, Morales-Medina JC2, Vallelunga A3, Palmieri B1, Laurino C1, Iannitti T4
Affiliation: <sup>1</sup>Department of General Surgery and Surgical Specialties, Surgical Clinic, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia Medical School, Modena, Italy. <sup>2</sup>Centro de Investigación en Reproducción Animal, CINVESTAV- Universidad Autónoma de Tlaxcala, Tlaxcala, Mexico. <sup>3</sup>Department of Medicine and Surgery, Centre for Neurodegenerative Diseases (CEMAND), University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy. <sup>4</sup>Department of Neuroscience, Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, United Kingdom. tommaso.iannitti@gmail.com.
Conference/Journal: Cancer Med.
Date published: 2016 Oct 17
Other: Special Notes: doi: 10.1002/cam4.861. [Epub ahead of print] , Word Count: 161


Cancer is one of the most common causes of death worldwide. Available treatments are associated with numerous side effects and only a low percentage of patients achieve complete remission. Therefore, there is a strong need for new therapeutic strategies. In this regard, pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy presents several potential advantages including non-invasiveness, safety, lack of toxicity for non-cancerous cells, and the possibility of being combined with other available therapies. Indeed, PEMF stimulation has already been used in the context of various cancer types including skin, breast, prostate, hepatocellular, lung, ovarian, pancreatic, bladder, thyroid, and colon cancer in vitro and in vivo. At present, only limited application of PEMF in cancer has been documented in humans. In this article, we review the experimental and clinical evidence of PEMF therapy discussing future perspectives in its use in oncology.

© 2016 The Authors. Cancer Medicine published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

KEYWORDS: Cancer; electromagnetic therapy; oncology; pulsed electromagnetic fields; tumor-specific frequencies

PMID: 27748048 DOI: 10.1002/cam4.861