top of page

Optune Tumor Treating Fields

Tumor Treating Fields deliver alternating electric fields through arrays placed on the scalp, disrupting cancer-cell division without systemic drug exposure. TTFields are used alongside maintenance temozolomide, with treatment duration and daily adherence playing an important role in outcomes.

Highlighted Papers

Stupp et al., 2017 — “Effect of Tumor-Treating Fields Plus Maintenance Temozolomide vs Maintenance Temozolomide Alone on Survival in Patients With Glioblastoma: A Randomized Clinical Trial”

The final EF-14 analysis showed that adding TTFields to maintenance temozolomide improved both progression-free and overall survival. Median overall survival was 20.9 months with TTFields plus temozolomide versus 16.0 months with temozolomide alone.

View Publication

Toms et al., 2019 — “Increased Compliance with Tumor Treating Fields Therapy Is Prognostic for Improved Survival in the Treatment of Glioblastoma: A Subgroup Analysis of the EF-14 Phase III Trial”

This EF-14 subgroup analysis found that greater daily use of TTFields was associated with longer survival. The strongest outcomes were observed among patients with adherence above 90%.

View Publication

Vymazal et al., 2023 — “Eighteen Years’ Experience with Tumor Treating Fields in the Treatment of Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma

This long-term clinical experience described the practical use, safety and outcomes of TTFields over an 18-year period. It provides valuable evidence about using the treatment outside a randomised clinical trial.

View Publication

Chen et al., 2025 — “Efficacy and Safety of Adjuvant TTFields Plus Pembrolizumab and Temozolomide in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Phase 2 Study”

This phase II study investigated whether pembrolizumab could enhance the effects of TTFields and temozolomide. The results were encouraging, but confirmation in a randomised trial is still required.

View Publication

Further Literature

  • Ballo, M. T., Conlon, P., Lavy-Shahaf, G., et al. Association of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) Therapy with Survival in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Neuro-Oncology. 2023;164:1–9. doi: 10.1007/s11060-023-04348-w.

  • Bernard-Arnoux, F., Lamure, M., Ducray, F., et al. The Cost-Effectiveness of Tumor-Treating Fields Therapy in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma. Neuro-Oncology. 2016;18(8):1129–1136. doi: 10.1093/neuonc/now102.

  • Guo, X., Yang, X., Wu, J., et al. Tumor-Treating Fields in Glioblastomas: Past, Present, and Future. Cancers. 2022;14:3669. doi: 10.3390/cancers14153669.

  • Guzauskas, G. F., Salzberg, M., Wang, B. C. Estimated Lifetime Survival Benefit of Tumor Treating Fields and Temozolomide for Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma Patients. CNS Oncology. 2018;7(3). doi: 10.2217/cns-2018-0010.

  • Khagi, S., Kotecha, R., Gatson, N. T. N., et al. Recent Advances in Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) Therapy for Glioblastoma. The Oncologist. 2025;30(2). doi: 10.1093/oncolo/oyae227.

  • Ma, J., Singh, S., Li, M., et al. Directionally Non-Rotating Electric Field Therapy Delivered Through Implanted Electrodes as a Glioblastoma Treatment Platform: A Proof-of-Principle Study. Neuro-Oncology Advances. 2024;6(1). doi: 10.1093/noajnl/vdae121.

  • Nahm, J., et al. Overall Survival in Patients with Recurrent Glioblastomas with Combination Chemotherapy and Tumor Treating Fields. Journal of Clinical Oncology. 2023;41. doi: 10.1200/JCO.2023.41.16_suppl.e14057.

  • Pelosci, A. Temozolomide/Pembrolizumab Plus TTFields Leads to Tumor Control in Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma. Presentation at the 2024 Society for Immunotherapy of Cancer Annual Meeting; November 11, 2024. Available at: https://www.onclive.com/view/temozolomide-pembrolizumab-plus-ttfields-leads-to-tumor-control-in-newly-diagnosed-glioblastoma.

  • Ram, Z., Kim, C. Y., Hottinger, A. F., Idbaih, A., Nicholas, G., Zhu, J. J. Efficacy and Safety of Tumor Treating Fields in Elderly Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma: Subgroup Analysis of the Phase III EF-14 Clinical Trial. Frontiers in Oncology. 2021;11:671972. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.671972.

  • Ranganathan, S., et al. Tumor Treating Fields: Will the Evidence Gap Ever Be Filled? European Journal of Cancer. 2026;244:116897. doi: 10.1016/j.ejca.2026.116897.

  • Ramanathan, A., Lorimer, I. A. J. Engineered Cells as Glioblastoma Therapeutics. Cancer Gene Therapy. 2022;29:156–166. doi: 10.1038/s41417-021-00320-w.

  • Stupp, R., Taillibert, S., Kanner, A. A., et al. Maintenance Therapy with Tumor-Treating Fields Plus Temozolomide vs Temozolomide Alone for Glioblastoma: A Randomized Clinical Trial. JAMA. 2015;314(23):2535–2543. doi: 10.1001/jama.2015.16669.

  • Tran, D., Ghiaseddin, A., Chen, D., Le, S. Final Analysis of 2-THE-TOP: A Phase II Study of TTFields Plus Pembrolizumab Plus Maintenance Temozolomide in Patients with Newly Diagnosed Glioblastoma. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer. 2023;11. doi: 10.1136/jitc-2023-SITC2023.0581.

  • Wang, J., Du, Q., Chen, J., et al. Tumor Treating Fields in Glioblastoma: Long-Term Treatment and High Compliance as Favorable Prognostic Factors. Frontiers in Oncology. 2024;14:1345190. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2024.1345190.

Back to Research Section
bottom of page