Electrochemical treatment of mouse and rat fibrosarcomas with direct current

Electrochemical treatment (ECT) of cancer utilizes direct current to produce chemical changes in tumors. ECT has been suggested as an effective alternative local cancer therapy. However, a methodology is not established, and mechanisms are not well studied. In vivo studies were conducted to evaluate the effectiveness of ECT on animal tumor models. Radiation‐induced fibrosarcomas were implanted subcutaneously in 157 female C3H/HeJ mice. Larger rat fibrosarcomas were implanted on 34 female Fisher 344 rats. When the spheroidal tumors reached 10 mm in the mice, two to five platinum electrodes were inserted into the tumors at various spacings and orientations. Ten rats in a pilot group were treated when their ellipsoidal tumors were about 25 mm long; electrode insertion was similar to the later part of the mouse study, i.e., two at the base and two at the center. A second group of 24 rats was treated with six or seven electrodes when their tumors were about 20 mm long; all electrodes were inserted at the tumor base. Of the 24 rats, 12 of these were treated once, 10 were treated twice, and 2 were treated thrice. All treated tumors showed necrosis and regression for both mice and rats; however, later tumor recurrence reduced long‐term survival. When multiple treatments were implemented, the best 3 month mouse tumor cure rate was 59.3%, and the best 6 month rat tumor cure rate was 75.0%. These preliminary results indicate that ECT is effective on the radiation‐induced fibrosarcoma (RIF‐1) mouse tumor and rat fibrosarcoma. The effectiveness is dependent on electrode placement and dosage. Bioelectromagnetics 18:14–24, 1997. © 1997 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.