Electro-Capacitive Cancer Theraphy (ECCT) Devices
We have developed a non-contact electric field treatment for cancers using electrical capacitance technique, namely Electro-Capacitive Cancer Therapy (ECCT). The development of the technique has a background originally to support end-stage cancer patients that has finished all conventional and other treatments (57%) or in combination with on-going conventional treatment (37%), and has been granted with ethical clearence in 2012. The technique has been verified through a series of cell and animal studies. Phase one and phase two clinical trials are on going.
Images: LEFT: ECCT System; RIGHT: Photos of Dr. Taruno and Mrs. Suwarni when achieving a 10-year survival in remission in 2019.
The History of ECCT
ECCT has been developed for the first time by Dr. Warsito P. Taruno in 2010 to help his sister. Mrs. Suwarni, to fight stage-4 breast cancer which was diagnosed in late 2009. She had mastectomy in early 2010 with pathology anatomy showing an invasive ductal carcinoma, but she refused to have chemotherapy and got no other treatment. After doing cell study which showed a promising result, Dr. Warsito developed the first ECCT system powered with batteries for her sister as alternative to chemo. Her sister got remission after 2 months of wearing ECCT device, having recurrences 3 times within 3 years, but getting remissions again every time with ECCT, and now achieved more than 10 years of survival, living free of cancer and in normal condition.
Principles of ECCT
The fundamental principles of electro-capacitive cancer therapy (ECCT) technique is to generate electric field at the location of the targeted tumor area with certain modulation (intensity and frequency pattern) to create an electric field distribution in such a way to interfere the electrical polarization inside the cancer cells during mitosis, causing a mitotic arrest that leads to self-destruction of the splitting cells. The technique is also regarded as a non-contact electric field stimulation. The response of ECCT treatment depends on the polarizability and elasticity of the cell to external electric field stimuli; the more polar and elastic of the cell the higher the response. Generally, the higher the grade (more malignant) of the cell, the faster the response to ECCT.
Images: LEFT: Principle of ECCT technique; RIGHT: Cell mitosis process and mechanism of electric field disturbance by ECCT to cause cell death through apoptosis.
Mechanism of Cell Death by ECCT
During cell split under normal condition, replicated chromosomes are directed evenly to both sides of the cell poles to create two identical nuclei by the roles of microtubule spindles. The cell during split is highly electrically polarized, negatively charged on the center of both poles, and positively charged in the middle of the splitting cell where the replicated chromosomes are lined up. In the present of external electric field (EF), the charge distribution inside the splitting cell may be interfered, disrupting spindles arrangement and hence the process of chromosomes separation, resulting in an uneven chromosomes division that yields eventual cell death (self-destruction/apoptosis). Different mechanisms of the cell death may exist dependent on the type of the cell, the mitosis speed (cell proliferation), and the modulation of the external EF (intensity and frequency).
ECCT System and Usage
The technique uses a number of capacitance electrodes embbeded in apparel device to wear by the patient during daily activities. The device uses low voltages less than ±15 Volts, powered by light batteries. The usage time for treatment of patients is relatively short compared to other electrical methods, starting from 5—15 minutes 2 times per day.
Images: Schematic Diagram of ECCT System: TOP LEFT: Schematic diagram of electrode system; TOP RIGHT: ECCT system comprising oscillator, apparel and connector; BOTTOM: ECCT system with blanket apparel for whole body metastatic cancer treatment.
ECCT FOR UNTREATABLE CANCERS
ECCT is more suitable for malignant cancers with small metastatic or spreading lesions which are not applicable for surgery or resistant to chemo and/or radiation. Small metastatic lesions respond to non-contact electric field better as the lesions have relatively larger surface area and the dead cells can be discharged through nearby ducts/veins and excreted to outside the body without essential issues.
Images: The process of “melting” and discharge of cancer lesions in the breast as indicated by mammograms; The smaller the lesions the faster the discharge process; The electrical activities of the breast imaged by ECVT vanishes along with the “melting” process; For highly polarized cell types (ECCT Classification Type B) the process of cell death and discharge takes 3—6 months (TOP); The discharge process for certain types of breast cancers (i.e. less polarized types, ECCT Classification Type C2) may take years as indicated by a series of MRI images (BOTTOM).
ECCT FOR METASTATIC BREAST CANCERS
Images: ECCT showed good responses to metastatic breast cancers: TOP: Bone and liver metastatic breast cancer (ECCT Classification Type C2); BOTTOM: Lymphnodes, lung and brain metastatic breast cancer (ECCT Classification Type C1, BOTTOM). While ECCT responses depend on the extent of organ failures, i.e. A complete recovery is still possible when vital organs are relatively undamaged, generally ECCT is beneficial for pain management for palliative care.
ECCT FOR INOPERABLE BRAIN CANCERS
Most brain tumors in interbrain (dienchepalon) and brainstem regions are inoperable or unresectable, and chemo or radiation treatments may not completely remove the tumors. Responses to ECCT for brain tumors will depend on the location of the tumors and the cell types. For soft and highly polarized tumors (ECCT Classification Type B/C1), the location of the tumors is not crucial, while for hard and less polarized tumors (ECCT Classification Type D/C2) the response will depend on the direct conncection with the fourth ventricles as the major excretion channel for brain tumors for complete removals. Therefore, ECCT may have advantages for most inoperable brain tumors in the interbrain and the midbrain.
Images: TOP: MRI images brain cancer cases located in the pineal of a high grade glioma, a soft and highly polarized type (ECCT Classifiation Type B), showing almost complete removals within relatively short period of times (months); and BOTTOM: MRI images of brain tumor cases of hard and less polarized types (ECCT Classification Type D), showing slow process of removals in years.
ECCT FOR ADVANCED LUNG CANCERS
Lung adenocarcinomas are typically soft (elastic) and highly polarized cell types which are most suitable with ECCT treatment. While most lung cancers have high mortality as it easily spread to vital organs and diagnosed in late stages, ECCT may be beneficial as the cell types respond to the treatment relatively well, and complete removal is possbile without surgery. EGFR positively mutated types are responding better than unmutated types; the reason is still unkonwn. For relatively large lesions (>10 cm), after most of the mass is discharged through the treatment, some part of the lesion may remain as fibrosis (proved with CT guided biopsy). The portion of fibrosis seems correlates with the lenghten of the treament, i.e. Long period of treatment with inflammation may contribute to the extent of fibrosis development.
Images: Advanced lung adenocarcinoma cases treated with ECCT: TOP: Long period (3 years) of treatment accompanied by inflammation leaved large portion of fibrosis; BOTTOM: Latest development of ECCT system leads to faster process (3 months) of treatment and hence less fibrosis for a relatively comparable case.