Electrochemical treatment of tumours using a one-probe two-electrode device

F MAGLIETTI; N. OLAIZ; C. SUÁREZ; F. MOLINA; D. MIKLAVCIC; L. MIR; G. MARSHALL

Ljubljana, Slovenia.

Workshop; EBTT2009; 2009

The electrochemical treatment of tumours (EChT) consists in the passage of a directelectric current through two or more electrodes inserted locally in the tumour tissue.Electrochemical reactions induce extreme pH changes and, consequently, proteinelectrodenaturation fronts intimately related to tumour destruction. In the classicalEChT electrodes configuration experiment, from an initial uniform condition twoelectrodenaturation fronts evolve expanding towards each other, leaving the possibleexistence of a biological pH region between them [1]. Here we introduce a one-probetwo-electrodes device (OPTED) containing the cathode and the anode very close to eachother. Upon application of the OPTED, two electrodenaturation half spherical fronts,one basic the other acid, expand from the electrodes towards the periphery conforming afull sphere. Electrodenaturation front tracking reveals a time scaling close to t1/2,signature of a diffusion-controlled process. Based on this evidence it is possible, inprinciple, to predict the necessary time needed for total tumour destruction withoutcompromising healthy tissue. The main advantages of the OPTED are the insertion of“one electrode” rather than two or more thus minimizing tissue intrusion, the passage ofuncontrolled current is constrained to a very small region between electrodes, highacidity/alcalinity regions are localized in one tiny zone around electrodes, the possibleexistence of a biological pH region between electrodes is suppressed, and the possibilityof reaching tumours beyond possibilities of conventional surgery. These results couldhave significant implications in EChT optimal operative conditions and dose planning,in particular, in the way in which the evolving electrodenaturation spherical fronts coverthe active cancer cells spherical casket. Moreover, they may have potential advantagesin the application of electrochemotherapy (ECT).