FDA Approves Unique Device to Treat Pancreatic Cancer With Electrical Fields

Approximately 1.6 percent of men and women will be diagnosed with pancreatic cancer at some point during their lifetime.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in White Oak, Md., on June 5, 2023. Madalina Vasiliu/The Epoch Times

A “first-of-its-kind” medical device that uses electrical fields to treat locally advanced pancreatic cancer among adults has been approved for use in the United States, the Food and Drug Administration said in a Feb. 12 statement.

“Optune Pax, developed by Novocure, is a portable, non-invasive device that delivers alternating electrical fields, known as tumor treating fields (TTFields), to the abdomen. TTFields work by physically disrupting the rapid cell division that is characteristic of cancer cells, while minimizing damage to healthy tissue,” the FDA said.