Welcome to Connect, @bjh369.
I thought I’d post some more information about the Optune device (wearable medical device that delivers electrical fields through the scalp) and other innovative therapies being researched:
https://www.nature.com/articles/d41586-018-06713-6
Here are a few points to keep in mind:
– The company-sponsored study enrolled only patients who were well enough to start chemo after surgery and radiation. Even for these participants, the electric fields were not a cure. Only 16 of the original 466 patients were alive by the end of the study.
https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jama/fullarticle/2475463
–The improvement is modest: The median survival for patients who were randomly assigned to use the device while getting the chemo drug temozolomide lived 21 months compared with 16 months for those assigned to receive chemo without the device.
However, the latest data show that the two-year survival rate for the full group of patients was 43 percent for those using the device while getting temozolomide, compared with 31 percent for those only receiving chemo. The five-year rate was 13 percent vs. 5 percent.
– Optune has several components. The device has a generator that can be plugged into an electrical outlet or powered by a battery and four adhesive patches taped in place on a patient's shaved scalp. Each patch has nine electrode discs.
– The cost can be prohibitive since it’s $21,000 per month. Most U.S. insurers cover it but Medicare does not. https://www.statnews.com/2017/12/19/glioblastoma-electric-fields-cap/

I have to admit that it’s exciting to know about such advancements...for a patient with a fast-growing tumor, extending life with minimal side effects can mean the world. I wish you all success and I sincerely hope you’ll keep us updated with your progress, @bjh369.