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Updated: Dec 13, 2025
The Clinical Application of Tumor Treating Fields Therapy in Glioblastoma
Published on: April 16, 2019
Tumor Treating Fields in the Management of Patients with Malignant Gliomas
Ashley P Ghiaseddin1, David Shin2, Kaitlyn Melnick2
1Lillian S. Wells Department of Neurosurgery, University of Florida College of Medicine, 1505 SW Archer Road, Gainesville, FL, 32608, USA. ashley.ghiaseddin@neurosurgery.ufl.edu.
Opinion Statement:
Malignant gliomas remain a challenging cancer to treat due to limitations in both therapeutic and efficacious options. Tumor treating fields (TTFields) have emerged as a novel, locoregional, antineoplastic treatment modality with favorable efficacy and safety being demonstrated in the most aggressive type of malignant gliomas, glioblastoma (GBM). In 2 large randomized, controlled phase 3 trials, the addition of TTFields was associated with increased overall survival when combined with adjuvant temozolomide (TMZ) chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed GBM (ndGBM) and comparable overall survival compared with standard chemotherapy in patients with recurrent GBM (rGBM). TTFields target cancer cells by several mechanisms of action (MoA) including suppression of proliferation, migration and invasion, disruption of DNA repair and angiogenesis, antimitotic effects, and induction of apoptosis and immunogenic cell death. Having several MoAs makes TTFields an attractive modality to combine with standard, salvage, and novel treatment regimens (e.g., radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy). Treatment within the field of malignant gliomas is evolving to emphasize combinatorial approaches that work synergistically to improve patient outcomes. Here, we review the current use of TTFields in GBM, discuss MOA and treatment delivery, and consider the potential for its wider adoption in other gliomas.
Insights
Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) offer a novel treatment for glioblastoma (GBM), improving survival in newly diagnosed and recurrent cases. This therapy targets cancer cells through multiple mechanisms, showing promise for combinatorial approaches in glioma treatment.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Medical Physics
- Biotechnology
Background:
- Malignant gliomas, particularly glioblastoma (GBM), present significant therapeutic challenges.
- Existing treatment options for GBM have limitations in efficacy and therapeutic scope.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review the current application of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in GBM treatment.
- To discuss the mechanisms of action (MoA) and delivery of TTFields.
- To explore the potential for wider adoption of TTFields in other glioma types.
Main Methods:
- Review of two large randomized, controlled phase 3 trials.
- Analysis of TTFields' mechanisms of action, including antiproliferative, anti-invasive, anti-angiogenic, and pro-apoptotic effects.
- Discussion of TTFields' compatibility with standard and novel cancer therapies.
Main Results:
- TTFields combined with temozolomide (TMZ) improved overall survival in newly diagnosed GBM (ndGBM).
- TTFields demonstrated comparable overall survival to standard chemotherapy in recurrent GBM (rGBM).
- TTFields exhibit multiple mechanisms of action against cancer cells.
Conclusions:
- TTFields represent a promising locoregional antineoplastic treatment for GBM.
- The multifaceted MoA of TTFields supports their use in combinatorial therapeutic strategies.
- Further investigation into TTFields' efficacy in other gliomas is warranted.
