Non-invasive RF cancer treatment

Non-invasive RF cancer treatment is an experimental method of cancer treatment that employs a combination of either gold or carbon nanoparticles and radio waves to heat and destroy cancer cells while ignoring healthy cells.

Radio waves are, for the most part,weasel-inline harmless to living tissue,dubious but heat up certain metals. If, in theory, nanoparticles of carbon or gold were bound to cancer cells, and only cancer cells, then radio wave exposure could heat the bound cells enough to destroy them, while not affecting most healthy cells.

The major technical problem is making sure that the nanoparticles bind only to the cancer cells instead of healthy cells. If the nanoparticles are delivered by a targeting molecule that binds only to the cancer cells, then this may be achievable.

According to a presentation by Dr. Steven Curley, the types of cancer that might be treatable using Kanzius RF therapy include essentially all forms of cancer. [ [http://www.manp.org/assets/pdf/erieapril2007.pdf RF-Induced Thermal Destruction of Cancer Cells Presentation by Steven Curley] , accessed November 2, 2007]

History

In 2003 and 2004, John Kanzius was undergoing chemotherapy treatment for non-Hodgkins lymphoma, and while undergoing treatment he began to think of how he could employ what he knew to battle what he suffered from. John Kanzius is a retired radio and TV engineer, and an FCC licensed amateur ('ham') radio operator. It is from this expertise that John theorized that radio waves could be utilized in the fight against cancer. Based on a lifetime of experience with radio equipment, he engineered the first model of the Kanzius RF Machine. At first, John Kanzius had nothing to go on but that little bits of metal could be heated after applying radio waves, but Richard Smalley, nanotechnology pioneer and creator of the buckyball, heard about the theory from colleagues in 2005 and contributed the theory that carbon nanotubes could be heated when radio waves were applied.

The medical community first took notice in the spring of 2005, when experiments were done at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Since then, ongoing research has also been done at the MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, Texas, led by Stephen Curley, a professor of surgical oncology.

Kanzius founded Therm Med LLC to develop his invention.

The Kanzius RF Machine

The Kanzius RF Machine was invented by John Kanzius. As described in a Associated Press article, the Kanzius RF Machine, as used during animal experimentation at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, "uses a capacitor to focus radio waves in a transmitting head to send them to a receiving head. Between the two machines is a space of several inches where a rat will be placed so the radio waves can be sent through it".cite news
year=2005
title=Center to Test Radio Wave Cancer Treatment
publisher=Associated Press
date=2005-05-11
accessdate=2007-10-31
url=http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/usworld/news-article.aspx?storyid=37036]

The receiving head contributes to the focusing of the microwave energy: as explained in patent WO2005110544, "The RF signal transmitted by larger transmission head is received by reception head in such a manner that the RF signal is more concentrated near the reception head than it is near the transmission head. The more concentrated the RF signal, the higher the amount of energy that can be absorbed by the specific area... Optionally, one or more of the tuned circuits in the RF receiver are tuned to have a high quality factor or high 'Q'. Providing a resonant circuit with a high "Q" allows the tuned head to pick up larger amounts of energy."

The device first used by the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center was built and donated by Energy-Onix, a Valatie, New York-based company that manufactures radio transmitters.

The nature of the machine can be further illustrated when looking at the graphics in the patent applications seen below.

Four units are currently in service at the MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. The University of Pittsburgh Medical Center received their first unit in May 2005, and MD Anderson Cancer Center received their first machine in January 2006. John Kanzius' predicts a near term demand of 3,000 to 5,000 units with long term expectations at 50,000 to 100,000 units.cite news
author=Steven Sweeney
year=2007
title=Kanzius Sees Success
publisher=Erie Times-News
date=2007-10-31
accessdate=2007-11-02
url=http://www.goerie.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20071031/NEWS02/710310441/-1/NEWS]

Until targeting is fully viable, Kanzius is considering making the machine available to only a few well-renowned medical centers.cite news
year=2007
title=Kanzius treatment gets world's attention
author=David Bruce
publisher=Erie Times-news
date=2007-11-01
accessdate=2007-11-01
url=http://www.winknews.com/features/health/10949561.html]

Nanoparticles

According to Dr. Steven Curley, gold nanoparticles, which are already FDA approved, would be likely the first nanoparticle candidates in clinical trials of Kanzius' RF treatment. Further experimentation confirmed that the gold nanoparticles are not cytotoxic and that they are able to be heated by an RF Field, resulting in cell death. The conclusion of the experimentation was that gold nanoparticles are viable candidates for the Kanzius RF cancer treatment. [http://www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO/menuitem.34d60f5624ba07fd506fe310ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=76f8201eb61a7010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD&vmview=abst_detail_view&confID=45&abstractID=10550 In vitro gold nanoparticle targeting enhances non-invasive radiofrequency destruction of human gastrointestinal malignancies] , accessed November 2, 2007]

Targeting molecules

According to Dr. Steven Curley, the first targeting molecule will be c225, also known as Erbitux or Cetuximab, a "monoclonal antibody" or "single transduction inhibitor". This molecule is already FDA approved. [ [http://www.manp.org/assets/pdf/erieapril2007.pdf RF-Induced Thermal Destruction of Cancer Cells Powerpoint Presentation by Steven Curley] , accessed November 2, 2007] This molecule targets and binds to the epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) on the surface of a cell. This molecule is expressed in normal and cancer cells and when it binds to a cell, it inhibits cell growth and results in cell death. [ [http://www.chemocare.com/bio/c.asp c225 Information Page on ChemoCare.com] , accessed November 2, 2007] This molecule doesn't appear to be a candidate for targeting only cancer cells.

Collaborators

Noted collaborators include the late Richard Smalley, credited with creating the buckyball of nanotechnology fame. Smalley believed that carbon nanotubes could be heated when exposed to radio waves, introducing the nanoparticle component of Kanzius RF Therapy.cite news
year=2007
title=Cancer Therapy Takes Next Step
author=Peter Panepento
publisher=Erie Times-News
accessdate=2007-10-31
url=http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/439566/cancer_therapy_takes_next_step]

Another notable collaborator is Stephen A. Curley, M.D., a professor of surgical oncology at the MD Anderson Cancer Center at the University of Texas in Houston. Curley heads a research team at MD Anderson. The MD Anderson team is collaborating with a Rice University research team.

On April 28, 2007, a symposium at the Mary D'Angelo Performing Arts Center at Mercyhurst College was held on the cancer research of John Kanzius. In attendance were a reported 700 people, [ [http://cbs13.com/health/health_story_240004016.html CBS Article Citing Turnout at Symposium] , accessed October 31, 2007] including John Kanzius, Dr. Stephen Curley, Erie Mayor Joseph E. Sinnott, Erie County Executive Mark DiVecchio, Joyce Savocchio, and Bishop Donald W. Trautman of the Catholic Diocese of Erie. At this symposium, city officials stated that they would attempt to tap Erie casino tax revenues to provide additional funding for the cancer research. [ [http://yourerie.com/content/community/event?event_id=7410&month=04&date=28&year=2007 Event Listing on YourErie.com] , accessed October 31, 2007]

Fundraising and support

In December 2005, Rick Santorum and Arlen Specter, Republican Senators from Pennsylvania, secured $200,000 in federal funding for the project. Specter had requested that the NIH and NIH Cancer Institute assist with funding the needed animal testing. It is this funding that allowed for initial University of Pittsburgh Medical Center animal testing.cite news
year=2005
title=Novel cancer treatment demonstrated at UPMC lab
author=David Templeton
publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
date=2005-08-06
accessdate=2007-11-03
url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05218/549699.stm]

On October 25th of 2007, a press release on Arlen Specter's government home page announced approval for additional funding of $100,000 to go to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center to advance the cancer treatment research of Kanzius and company. According to the press release, the funding is hoped to be used "...for tests to advance potential submission of radiowave technology for FDA approval to initiate a clinical trial". This funding is still pending full congressional and Presidential approval before it will be final. [ [http://specter.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=NewsRoom.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=e82d8207-1321-0e36-bac8-144b1ded7054 Arlen Specter Press Release] , accessed October 31, 2007]

Actress Sharon Stone has expressed interest in helping support and finance the research involving Kanzius RF Therapy. Sharon Stone has been fundraising in an effort to fight HIV and AIDS, and is interested in finding out if this new method can be used to fight those diseases as well. Kanzius' corporate board, Therm Med LLC, has convinced him his treatment may be effective against these diseases as well.cite news
year=2005
title=UPMC set to test cancer treatment
author=David Templeton
publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
date=2005-02-20
accessdate=2007-10-31
url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/05051/459069.stm]

Former Erie Mayor Joyce Savocchio, of the Community United for a Cancer Cure, announced the organizations goal to raise $3 million to fund research at the MD Anderson Cancer Treatment Center and University of Pittsburgh Medical Center.cite news
year=2007
title=Cancer research inspires Erie community
author=David Templeton
publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
date = 2007-05-02
accessdate=2007-10-31
url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07122/782492-114.stm]

On June 12th of 2007, there was a fundraiser held at Erie Insurance Group's headquarters, which was expected to raise more than $150,000 dollars for the cancer treatment research.

From August 10th to the 12th, in Erie, Pennsylvania, there was hosted a motorcycle rally called "Roar On The Shore", with all proceeds going to the John Kanzius Cancer Research Fund. The event charged a one-time five dollar entrance fee for the event. According to the homepage of the City of Erie, over $50,000 was raised for the cancer fund at this event. [ [http://www.roarontheshore.com/ Roar on the Shore Event Web Page] , accessed October 31, 2007]

On May 31st of 2007, IAFF Local 293, a group of Erie Professional Firefighters, presented a $1000 dollar donation to aid in funding Kanzius' research. Firefighters are at an elevated risk for several different cancers, and the organization recognized this with the donation aimed at helping fight the disease that had claimed or afflicted many of their own. [ [http://iaff293.org/?zone=/unionactive/view_article.cfm&HomeID=58876 IAFF 293 Present Donation to Aid John Kanzius' Research] , accessed October 31, 2007]

Notable experiments

Pre-clinical trials

An experiment was done at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center by Dr. David Geller, who tested the radio wave treatment on rats with liver tumors. Dr. Geller is co-director of UPMC's Liver Cancer Center.cite news
year=2005
title=Houston cancer center starts testing radio-wave theory
author=David Templeton
publisher=Erie Times-News
accessdate=2007-10-31
url=http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2005/nov/1214323.htm]

Dr. Steven Curley, of the MD Anderson Cancer Center, has performed experiments on human pancreatic and liver cancer cells showing that when the cancer cell cultures were "spiked" with gold nanoparticles, then exposed to an RF field, up to 100% of the cancer was destroyed. Additional experimentation, in which these nanoparticle "spiked" cell cultures were mixed with healthy cells, resulted in complete cancer cell death, while not affecting the healthy, "unspiked" cells.cite news
year=2007
title=Research on local man's cancer treatment idea shows it has promise
author=David Templeton
publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
date=2007-01-18
accessdate=2007-11-04
url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07018/754702-114.stm]

On October 31, 2007, it was reported that the RF treatment was tested on rabbits with liver cancer successfully. According to the report, and cited as coming from the recently published article "Carbon nanotube-enhanced thermal destruction of cancer cells in a noninvasive radiofrequency field", in the Journal "Cancer", Kanzius' RF therapy completely destroyed liver tumor cells in the test rabbits with no side effects. In the experiment there were three groups of animals. One group was treated with only the radio waves, which had no effect. Another group was treated with only the nanoparticles, also with no effect. The third group, treated with both radio waves and nanoparticles survived with the cancer cells destroyed. According to Dr. Steven Curley, and the abstract of the article, during the next 12 to 18 months, the authors of the article will be working to develop SWNTs (Single-Walled Nano Tubes) coupled with cancer targeting agents to further enhance cancer specificity.cite journal
last=Gannon
first=Christopher J.
coauthors = Cherukuri, Paul; Yakobson, Boris I.; Cognet, Laurent; Kanzius, John. S.; Kittrell, Carter; Weisman, R. Bruce; Pasquali, Matteo; Schmidt, Howard K.; Smalley, Richard E.; Curley, Steven A.
year=2007
title=Carbon nanotube-enhanced thermal destruction of cancer cells in a noninvasive radiofrequency field |journal=Cancer
volume=Dec. 2007
doi = 10.1002/cncr.23155
pages=2654]

It is reported that Dr. David Geller will be presenting findings regarding the viability of gold nanoparticles in the Kanzius RF treatment at the 3rd Academic Surgical Congress, being held from February 13th to the 15th of 2008.cite news
year=2007
title=Research on local man's cancer treatment idea shows it has promise
author=David Templeton
publisher=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
accessdate=2007-11-02
url=http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/07305/830199-58.stm] [ [http://www.aasurg.org/ Association for Academic Surgery, 2008 Academic Surgical Congress, accessed November 2]

Clinical trials

Clinical trials have neither been approved, nor performed yet. It is reported that Kanzius is working with the Lee Memorial Health System (LMHS), a provider of health care in southwest Florida, to coordinate tentative clinical trials when approval is granted. Clinical trials may not begin for another three to four years.cite news
year=2007
title=The cure to cancer could be in your radio!
publisher=Winknews.com
accessdate=2007-11-01
url=http://www.winknews.com/features/health/10949561.html]

Published works

Concerning cancer treatment

At the 2007 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium, Christopher J. Gannon, referenced below, presented a poster regarding the use of gold nanoparticles in the non-invasive RF cancer treatment method Kanzius invented. [ [http://www.asco.org/portal/site/ASCO/menuitem.34d60f5624ba07fd506fe310ee37a01d/?vgnextoid=76f8201eb61a7010VgnVCM100000ed730ad1RCRD&vmview=abst_detail_view&confID=45&abstractID=10550 Abstract presented as a poster presentation by Christopher Gannon at the 2007 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium] , accessed October 31, 2007] [ [http://www.gastro.org/wmspage.cfm?parm1=1846 Website and description of 2007 Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium] , accessed October 31, 2007]

On October 24, 2007, an article titled "Carbon nanotube-enhanced thermal destruction of cancer cells in a noninvasive radiofrequency field" was published in an online version of the journal "Cancer".

An animation of the process was shown on CBS's 60 Minutes in the U.S. on April 13, 2008. [cite news
year=2008
title=The Kanzius Machine: A Cancer Cure?
author=60 Minutes
publisher=CBS
accessdate=2008-04-14
url=http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/04/10/60minutes/main4006951.shtml]

ee also

* Royal Raymond Rife
* Carbon nanotubes
* Nanoshell
* Colloidal gold
* Radio frequency
* Radiofrequency ablation
* List of oncology-related terms
* Bystander effect (radiobiology)

References

External links

* [http://www.kanziuscancerresearch.com/ John Kanzius Cancer Research Foundation Official Web Site]
* [http://thermmed.com/ Therm Med LLC]
* [http://www.rd.com/content/radio-waves-and-the-search-for-a-cancer-cure/ Readers Digest Profile]
* [http://www.redorbit.com/news/health/439566/cancer_therapy_takes_next_step/ Cancer therapy takes next step] , 22 March 2006, 18:00 CST
* [http://cbs13.com/health/health_story_240004016.html http://cbs13.com/health/health_story_240004016.html]
* [http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=1882&z=3&p= http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=1882&z=3&p=]
* [http://www.latimes.com/features/health/men/la-na-cancer2nov02,0,1017918,full.story Sending his cancer a signal] , L.A. Times, November 2, 2007