Full Answer
When can I stop using Optune?
Using Optune for less than 18 hours a day lowers the chances that you will respond to treatment. Do not stop using Optune before you finish at least four full weeks of therapy to get the best response to treatment. Stopping treatment before four weeks lowers the chances that you will respond to treatment.
What is the minimal treatment duration for Optune?
Using a model developed to simulate the growth kinetics of a malignant tumor, the minimal treatment duration for Optune has been determined to be approximately 4 weeks to reach tumor stabilization.
How long should I wear Optune?
A large clinical study showed that Optune should be worn for at least 75% of the time (18 hours per day) to get the best response from treatment. • People who used Optune for more hours per day achieved the best survival benefit
Is Optune as effective as chemotherapy?
chemotherapy-related side effects A large clinical study in recurrent GBM showed that Optune was as effective as chemotherapy, with people self-reporting better OPTUNE CHEMOTHERAPY Side effects of Optune compared with chemotherapy 6 How does Optune work? How many people have used Optune?
How many months do you use optune?
More time on Optune predicted increased significant survival benefit. average patient usage of Optune for the first 6 months of treatment (months 1-6). Approximation, based on percentage of usage. vs TMZ alone.
When should I stop optune?
Do not stop using Optune before you finish at least four full weeks of therapy to get the best response to treatment. Stopping treatment before four weeks lowers the chances that you will respond to treatment. Notice! Do not stop using Optune even if you have used it less than the recommended 18 hours per day.
Does optune extend life?
The results also demonstrated that the greater patients' compliance with Optune, the better their outcomes. Patients who used Optune more than 90 percent of the time (n=43) had the greatest chance of survival: a median survival of 24.9 months from randomization and a five-year survival of 29.3 percent.
Does optune cure cancer?
Optune works differently from surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. The TTFields created by Optune can slow or even stop GBM tumor cells from growing and dividing. TTFields may also cause some cancer cells to die. For people with newly diagnosed GBM, Optune is used with the chemotherapy temozolomide.
How long do optune batteries last?
Other components include: Portable batteries: Each kit comes with 4 batteries; each battery lasts for 2 to 3 hours.
What is the survival rate for Stage 4 glioblastoma?
Survival statistics for gliomasType of tumourAge5-year relative survivalanaplastic astrocytoma (grade 3)55–645%glioblastoma multiforme (grade 4)20–4414%45–544%55–641%6 more rows
What is the success rate of optune?
Adherence to Optune was 75%. The patients in the temozolomide-alone arm received a median of 5 cycles. Median progression-free survival (PFS) was 6.7 months in the Optune arm (95% CI, 6.1-8.1) and 4.0 months in the temozolomide arm (95% CI, 3.8-4.3).
Does optune work glioblastoma?
More than 18,000 people have started Optune Optune is a wearable, portable, FDA-approved treatment for glioblastoma (GBM) that works by creating Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields), which are electric fields that disrupt cancer cell division.
Is optune chemotherapy?
Usually, they begin treatment with brain surgery, followed by chemo and radiation. Optune works to stop the cancer from returning by hitting the cancer cells with a low-intensity electrical field tuned to between microwave and ultrasound frequencies.
Does optune make you tired?
What are the possible side effects of Optune? Most common side effects of Optune when used together with chemotherapy (temozolomide, or TMZ) were low blood platelet count, nausea, constipation, vomiting, tiredness, scalp irritation from the device, headache, seizure, and depression.
Can you survive a glioblastoma?
The median survival time with glioblastoma is 15 to 16 months in people who get surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation treatment. Median means half of all patients with this tumor survive to this length of time. Everyone with glioblastoma is different. Some people don't survive as long.
What does optune feel like?
Tingling sensations: Some patients have reported feeling warmth and tingling in the skin during treatment. Muscle twitching: Because Optune devices rely on electrical fields—which are also the way messages are sent to muscles—twitching of muscle groups in the face has been reported.
What age can you take optune?
Age below 22: The safety of Optune therapy has not been established for those 21 and under. Pregnancy: This therapy may also produce adverse side-effects in pregnant women and/or their fetuses, and its safety for this population has not been established.
What is the effect of optune?
Optune is a newer treatment approach for taking on glioblastoma (GBM), the most common form of brain cancer. Optune is a device that delivers low-intensity electrical fields to stop cancer spread. 1 Worn on the head and indicated for adult patients, this device emits what are called tumor treating fields ...
What is the Optune device used for?
Uses. As noted above, the Optune device is indicated to treat glioblastoma. This brain cancer is aggressive, and it has been shown to develop either from adult neural stem cells or oligodendrocyte progenitor cells. GBM symptoms arise once tumor growth has started impacting other parts of the brain and include headache, nausea, vomiting, ...
How strong is Optune?
This TTF will vary in strength between 100 and 300 kilohertz (kHz) depending on the specific type of cancer cells that are being targeted. 5 .
Does optune affect radiation?
That said, studies have shown that Optune use will not accelerate or worsen the effects of chemotherapy or radiation treatment. 3 Still, these effects can become serious and lead to medical emergencies.
Can optune cause falls?
Falls: Patients undergoing Optune therapy are at a higher risk for falls and loss of balance. Fatigue: Constant tiredness has been reported as a common side-effect of this therapy. Infection: In rare cases, infections have been reported at the site of contact with the skin.
Is Optune Therapy the first line of treatment for GBM?
Such analysis also can give your doctor a sense of how fast GBM is spreading. Optune therapy is not usually the first line of treatment for GBM. It’s usually indicated alongside or after other approaches, such as surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy.
How does Optune work?
Optune produces alternating electrical fields within the human body that disrupt the rapid cell division exhibited by cancer cells, with the alternating electrical fields applied to the brain through transducer arrays placed on the scalp.
What is the study design of Optune?
Study Design: The study was a prospective, randomized, open label, active parallel control trial to compare the effectiveness and safety outcomes of recurrent GBM subjects treated with Optune to those treated with an effective best standard of care (BSC) chemotherapy (including bevacizumab).
Can children touch Optune?
Caution – Keep Optune out of the reach of children. If children touch the device, they could damage the device. This could cause a break in treatment. Breaks in treatment may lower your chance to respond to treatment.
Can you use optune with a skull defect?
Do not use Optune if you have an active implanted medical device, a skull defect (such as, missing bone with no replacement) or bullet fragments. Examples of active electronic devices include deep brain stimulators, spinal cord stimulators, vagus nerve stimulators, pacemakers, defibrillators and programmable shunts. Use of Optune together with implanted electronic devices has not been tested and may theoretically lead to malfunctioning of the implanted device. Use of Optune together with skull defects or bullet fragments has not been tested and may possibly lead to tissue damage or render Optune ineffective.
Can TMZ be replaced with a second line?
Following radiological progression or unacceptable toxicity, TMZ could be replaced with best standard of care second line therapy.
How long before you stop using Optune?
Do not stop using Optune before you finish at least four full weeks of therapy to get the best response to treatment. Stopping treatment before four weeks lowers the chances that you will respond to treatment. Notice! Do not stop using Optune even if you have used it less than the recommended 18 hours per day.
How long does an optune battery last?
The Optune Treatment Kit includes four rechargeable batteries. Each battery will last for two to three hours. For sleeping, or other times when you plan to stay in the same place for a while, plug the device into a standard wall outlet. Optune does not need regular maintenance.
What is the purpose of optune?
Optune is a treatment for adult patients. Optune is used after surgery, and radiation with chemotherapy have been used if possible. A doctor may use Optune to treat a patient with newly diagnosed brain cancer in the higher parts of the brain, together with temozolomide (a type of cancer drug). Optune is a portable device.
What is the treatment for glioblastoma?
Optune is a treatment for adult patients (22 years of age or older). Optune is used after surgery, and radiation with chemotherapy have been used if possible. A doctor may use Optune to treat a patient with newly diagnosed brain cancer (called glioblastoma multiforme, or “GBM”) in the higher parts of the brain, ...
What to do if you don't use transducer cream?
If you do not use this cream, your symptoms may continue and your doctor may ask you to take a break from treatment until your skin heals. Taking a break from treatment may lower your chance to respond to treatment.
How long to wait to unblock a field generator?
Blocking the vents may cause the device to overheat and turn off, leading to a break in treatment. If this happens, unblock the vents, wait 5 minutes and restart the device.
Can you open Optune without cancer?
If you attempt to open and service the system alone you may cause damage to the system. You could also get an electric shock by touching the inner parts of the device. By using Optune instead of cancer drugs, patients would avoid many of the side effects due to cancer drugs.
What is TTfields therapy?
Using 4 adhesive patches called transducer arrays, TTFields therapy is delivered right into the area of your body where the cancer is located. TTFields may destroy some cancer cells completely and have not been shown to affect healthy cells.
Does Optune slow down GBM?
This opens in a new window. Optune works differently from surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. The TTFields created by Optune can slow or even stop GBM tumor cells from growing and dividing. TTFields may also cause some cancer cells to die.
What are the side effects of Optune?
The most common side effects when using Optune alone were scalp irritation (redness and itchiness) and . headache. Other side effects were malaise, muscle twitching, fall and skin ulcers. Talk to your doctor if you have any of these side effects or questions.
Can Optune be used with chemotherapy?
If you have newly diagnosed GBM, Optune is used together with a chemotherapy called temozolomide (TMZ) if: • Your cancer is confirmed by your healthcare professional AND. • You have had surgery to remove as much of the tumor as possible. Recurrent GBM.
Is Optune for everyone?
Optune is not for everyone. Talk to your doctor if you have: • An implanted medical device (programmable shunt), skull defect (missing bone with no replacement), . or bullet fragment. Optune has not been tested in people with implanted electronic devices, which may .
Can you use Optune alone?
If your tumor has come back, Optune can be used alone as an alternative to standard medical therapy if: • You have tried surgery and radiation and they did not work or are no longer working AND. • You have tried chemotherapy and your GBM has been confirmed by your healthcare professional.
Can you use Optune without a training?
Optune should only be used after receiving training from qualified personnel, such as your doctor, a nurse, or . other medical staff who have completed a training course given by Novocure®, the maker of Optune. • Do not use any parts that did not come with the Optune Treatment Kit sent to you by Novocure or given .
What happens if you don't turn on your Optune?
If the device is not turned on, then the cells are not frozen in place and they are able to reproduce more cancer cells. In most of the official trials, the Optune users were allowed extensive time to not wear the device, days off for breaks. Per the statistics, the breakoff point for time worn in a day is 18 hours.
What does the Optune device do?
In my non-doctor terms (layman's terms), the Optune device, when turned on, puts a specific range of radio waves into your head. In the late 1990s', an Israeli researcher found that a specific range of radio waves freezes cancer cells in place.
What is the breakoff point for time worn in a day?
Per the statistics, the breakoff point for time worn in a day is 18 hours. This is the most statistically significant amount of time because enough users above and beyond this point showed a key difference in time of survival, time of recurrence.
Can you wear Optune in high heat?
In high heat, it can be sensitive to direct sunlight onto the head and it can error out. Overall, from my experience, I recommend Optune to any GBM patients who are willing to wear the device most of the day. It is something that most people I know have gotten used to wearing.
Is optune good for cancer?
Best case scenario I think would be to use Optune to survive long enough for cancer research to identify and get approved a solution treatment for GBM. Given the current (relatively fast) pace of cancer research, Optune is a great option right now. At a minimum, if worn, it should slow down cancer cells regrowth.
Is optune safe for caregivers?
There is no known risk to caregivers exposed to a patient receiving Optune. Optune has been tested for electromagnetic compatibility (active and passive) according to EN ISO 60601-1 standards. This means that no significant electric or magnetic fields are found in the vicinity of the device when it is active. 15.
Does Optune suppress the immune system?
Is Optune known to suppress the immune system? Optune is not known to be an immunosuppressant. 1. In patients with newly diagnosed GBM, the addition of Optune to TMZ did not increase the incidence of blood and lymphatic system disorders (grades 1-4) compared with TMZ alone (34% for both groups). 1. The most common (≥10%) adverse events (AEs) ...
Is Optune a passive or active device?
Optune has been tested for electromagnetic compatibility (active and passive) according to EN ISO 60601-1 standards and Novocure is not aware of any limitations with the use of cell phones or microwaves while patients are being treated with Optune.
Is Optune covered by insurance?
Optune is covered by many insurance plans and Novocure ensures that both you and your patient know in advance what, if any, financial obligation your patient has prior to the patient starting therapy. References: 1. Optune. Instructions for Use for Glioblastoma Multiforme.
Uses
Before Using
- Proper diagnosis of GBM is required prior to starting Optune treatment. Typically, there’s a progression of tests and evaluations, which includes a physical examination, imaging, and biopsy.4
Dosage
- Unlike pharmaceutical drugs, Optune treatment relies on TTF electrical signals for its therapeutic effect, and, as such side-effects and adverse reactions are rarer with this therapy. The device goes on the head and consists of two main components: an electric field generator (the emitting device itself) as well as the transducer arrays that deliver the TTF to the brain.3In addition, a po…
Side Effects
- Common
The good news about Optune, in contrast to most cancer therapies, is that adverse effects are rarer and rarely outright dangerous. That said, it’s your job to be mindful of how you’re feeling and to keep your healthcare provider in the loop. The side effects of this therapy include:3 1. Allergic … - Severe
Keep in mind that when chemotherapy or other treatments are indicated alongside Optune—which represents a majority of cases—there will be a much wider set of side effects and potentially adverse reactions. That said, studies have shown that Optune use will not accelerate or worsen t…
Warnings and Interactions
- As you’re undergoing this treatment be mindful of its effects on your body. Optune therapy will not interact with foods or drugs you’re taking, though drugs it’s co-administered with, like Temodar, very well may. Here’s what you should look out for:5 1. Skin irritation:As mentioned above, skin irritation and allergic reaction commonly occur during the course of treatment. Let your healthca…