Important: TTFields is not PEMF
The TED talk on this page describes Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), a prescription oncology device (Optune, Novocure) that uses alternating electric fields at 200 kHz under physician supervision and is FDA-approved for specific indications in glioblastoma and mesothelioma. TTFields is not pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) therapy, is not related to the general-wellness PEMF devices sold by ElectroMeds, and is not available from ElectroMeds. This page is provided for educational context. Nothing on this page should be interpreted as a claim that PEMF is a treatment for cancer. If you have cancer, consult a licensed oncology team.
Treating cancer with electric fields – Bill Doyle: TEDMED 2011
In this 2011 TEDMED talk, Bill Doyle describes the development of Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), a prescription medical device that applies low-intensity, alternating electric fields to interfere with cell division in specific cancer types. The talk is presented here as third-party educational material about the underlying biophysics of electric-field research in oncology.
How TTFields differs from PEMF
- TTFields uses alternating electric fields at 200 kHz, delivered via transducer arrays worn on the scalp under a physician-supervised prescription protocol. It is FDA-approved for glioblastoma multiforme and pleural mesothelioma with specific indications. It is manufactured by Novocure.
- PEMF (pulsed electromagnetic field therapy) uses pulsed magnetic fields at much lower frequencies, typically in the low-Hz to low-kHz range. General-wellness PEMF devices sold by ElectroMeds are not FDA-cleared for cancer. Specific medical PEMF devices in a separate regulatory category (bone growth stimulators, transcranial magnetic stimulation) carry clearances for unrelated indications such as nonunion fractures or treatment-resistant major depressive disorder.
Regulatory status of PEMF for cancer
No PEMF device sold by ElectroMeds — and no general-wellness PEMF device known to us — has FDA clearance, approval, or authorization for the treatment, cure, prevention, or diagnosis of cancer of any kind. See PEMF and Cancer Research for what the published PEMF literature actually reports.