Study type: Therapeutical study (experimental study)

Effect of millimeter wave irradiation on tumor metastasis med./bio.

By: Logani MK, Szabo I, Makar V, Bhanushali A, Alekseev S, Ziskin MC
Published in: Bioelectromagnetics 2006; 27 (4): 258-264
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Aim of study (acc. to author)

To study whether electromagnetic millimeter waves irradiation can inhibit tumor metastasis enhanced by cyclophosphamide, an anticancer drug.

Background/further details

One of the major side effects of chemotherapy in cancer treatment is that it can enhance tumor metastasis due to suppression of natural killer cell activity.
Cyclophosphamide (150 mg/kg body weight) was administered before irradiation. All mice were injected with B16F10 melanoma cells, a tumor cell line syngeneic to C57BL/6 mice. Tumor colonies in lungs were counted 2 weeks following inoculation.

Endpoint

Exposure

Exposure Parameters
Exposure 1: 42.2 GHz
Modulation type: AM
Exposure duration: continuous for 30 min

General information

Animals were divided into 5 groups of 10 animals each. First group was not given any treatment, second group was exposed to MMW, third group served as sham control for group 2, fourth group was given 150 mg/kg CPA (cyclophosphamide) before exposure and the fifth group served as sham control for group 4.

Exposure 1

Main characteristics
Frequency 42.2 GHz
Charakteristic
Exposure duration continuous for 30 min
Modulation
Modulation type AM
Modulation frequency 60 Hz
Modulation depth 100 %
Exposure setup
Exposure source
  • 10 x 20 mm rectangular horn connected to YAV-1 generator
Setup The central part of the horn was positioned 5 mm from the nose of the anesthetized animal.
Parameters
Measurand Value Type Method Mass Remarks
power density 36.5 mW/cm² peak value measured - -
power density 18.5 mW/cm² spatial average measured - -
SAR 730 W/kg peak value measured and calculated - -
Measurement and calculation details

The spatial average power density was determined by measuring the total power output from the generator and dividing by the area of the output plane of the horn. SAR was determined thermographically using an infrared camera.

Reference articles

Exposed system:

Methods Endpoint/measurement parameters/methodology

Investigated system:
Investigated organ system:
Time of investigation:
  • after exposure

Main outcome of study (acc. to author)

Cyclophosphamide caused a marked enhancement in tumor metastases (fivefold), which was significantly reduced when cyclophosphamide-treated mice were irradiated with millimeter waves. Millimeter waves also increased natural killer cell activity suppressed by cyclophosphamide, suggesting that a reduction in tumor metastasis by millimeter waves is mediated through activation of natural killer cells.

Study character:

Study funded by

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