Starting Tumor Treating Fields earlier looks safe in a small first study
Original title: Safety and feasibility of tumor treating fields initiated before and during radiotherapy for newly diagnosed glioblastoma: results from the Arm A feasibility cohort of a phase I/II trial (PriCoTTF).
How far along is this research?
- Lab cells
- Animals
- Review
- Tested in people
This was tested in people. That is the most reliable kind of research we share.
This was an early trial in a small group of people, mainly checking whether the treatment was safe and doable.
The short version
Twenty people with a new glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary started a wearable device before radiation, and no one had the serious side effect the study was watching for.
What was studied. This was an early trial in people, called PriCoTTF. Twenty adults with newly diagnosed glioblastoma: The fastest-growing type of glioma (grade 4). Treatment usually starts soon after diagnosis: surgery first, then radiation and chemotherapy. See the glossary or gliosarcoma took part. Normally Tumor Treating Fields are started after radiation and chemo. Here the device was started 2 to 4 weeks after surgery, so 1 to 2 weeks before radiation began.
What they found. The main thing the study checked was a specific serious side effect, defined ahead of time. It happened in 0 of 20 patients. Other severe side effects did happen. 12 patients (60%) had a side effect rated grade 3 or higher, and most of those were blood problems the researchers linked to the chemo and radiation, not the device. 6 patients (30%) had low levels of a type of white blood cell.
What this means, and what it doesn't
What it could mean: Wearing the device earlier, alongside radiation, seems to be something patients can actually do. It did not appear to add the serious harm the study was looking for. That makes it reasonable to test this earlier start in a larger, more rigorous trial.
What it doesn't mean: This does not mean starting the device earlier helps you live longer or keeps the tumor in check. The study was not built to answer that. It was a small, early trial with 20 people and no comparison group. The researchers say their own results should be read as a safety and feasibility check, nothing more. This is not standard care, and it is not a cure.
Source: PubMed, July 27, 2026 · Read the original
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