Dados do Resumo

Título

Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in the Treatment of Malignant Gliomas: Efficacy and Benefits of Combined Therapy

Introdução

Malignant gliomas, including glioblastoma (GBM), are challenging to treat due to limited effective therapies. Tumor treating fields (TTFields) use electric fields to target cancer cells through mechanisms like disrupting cell division and inducing cell death. This innovative approach is highly effective, especially when combined with other treatments such as radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, enhancing patient outcomes.

Objetivo

This article aims to review the effectiveness of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) in treating malignant gliomas, especially when combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy, based on recent studies to provide an updated perspective on these therapeutic approaches.

Métodos

This work was conducted in August 2024 as a Literature Review using articles indexed in LILAC and MEDLINE, accessed through the Regional Portal of the Virtual Health Library and PUBMED. To enhance the quality of results, the Health Sciences Descriptors (DeCS) "brain neoplasms," "electricity," and "immunotherapy" were used. A total of 24 studies were found, with 5 carefully selected as the theoretical basis for this work. The analysis focused on recent advancements in treating brain neoplasms, particularly through electrical stimulation and immunotherapy, published in English from 2019 to 2024. The critical analysis involved examining the provided information and a detailed data extraction process, highlighting key results and excluding incomplete or unreliable sources to ensure precision and relevance.

Resultados

Despite challenges in treating brain tumors using strategies involving alternating electric fields such as Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) and their additional therapies, their clinical performance is increasingly associated with a significantly elevated success rate, supporting positive prognoses of this therapeutic approach. Clinical studies reported to date have demonstrated a survival advantage of TTFields therapy in newly diagnosed glioblastomas (GBM), non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and pancreatic cancer. TTFields can interfere with the cell cycle of tumor cells, hinder DNA damage repair, activate the tumor's immunological microenvironment, reduce metastasis and invasion of cancer cells, and increase the permeability of the blood-brain barrier.

Conclusões

The reviewed studies suggest that Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) are promising for treating malignant gliomas, especially when combined with radiotherapy, chemotherapy, and immunotherapy. TTFields can disrupt cell division, impair DNA repair, and activate the immune microenvironment, highlighting their potential effectiveness. More long-term clinical studies are needed to further understand TTFields' effectiveness across different oncological contexts.

Palavras Chave

Brain Neoplasms; electricity; immunotherapy