Journal of Oncology Translational Research

A bimodal pattern of hazard of relapse among early stage breast cancer patients has been identified in multiple databases from US, Europe and Asia. We are studying these data to determine if this can lead to new ideas on how to prevent relapse in breast cancer. Using computer simulation and access to a very high quality database from Milan for patients treated with mastectomy only, we proposed that relapses within 3 years of surgery are stimulated somehow by the surgical procedure. Most relapses in breast cancer are in this early category. Retrospective data from a Brussels anesthesiology group suggests a plausible mechanism. Use of ketorolac, a common NSAID analgesic used in surgery was associated with far superior disease-free survival in the first five years after surgery. The expected prominent early relapse events in months 9-18 are reduced 5-fold. Transient systemic inflammation accompanying surgery (identified by IL-6 in serum) could facilitate angiogenesis of dormant micro metastases, proliferation of dormant single cells, and seeding of circulating cancer stem cells (perhaps in part released from bone marrow) resulting in early relapse and could have been effectively blocked by the perioperative anti-inflammatory agent. If this observation holds up to further scrutiny, it could mean that the simple use of this safe, inexpensive and effective anti-inflammatory agent at surgery might eliminate early relapses. We suggest this would be most effective for triple negative breast cancer and be especially valuable in low and middle income countries. Similar bimodal patterns have been identified in other cancers suggesting a general effect.

The primary objective of this research is to study and interpret the natural physics phenomenon of electromagnetic resonance in one end closed cavity for the eventual purpose of cancer treatment. Radio Frequency waves are released into a coaxial cavity filled with a small amount (1.6 mL) of breast cancer cells (BT549) and the reflection as well as the power input is measured to determine the absorption power into cancer cells. When the reflection of the RF waves from the uploaded sample of cancer cells is at its lowest power, the RF Frequency is noted and seen to be approximately close to the resonant frequency of that cavity. This cavity can potentially be used as a control method of testing RF frequencies on various types of cancer cells, such as the available BT549 cancer cell line obtained from the UTRGV Biology Department. 70% confluent basal breast cancer BT549 cells were grown in RPMI mammalian cell culture media with 10% fetal bovine serum (FBS) and 5% penicillin/streptomycin (P/S: from 10,000 U/mL stock solution) in 5% CO2. Samples were treated with 2 mL of 0.25% trypsin solution to detach cells from petri plates; cells were centrifuged at 100 x g for 5 minutes at room temperature to pellet. After this, cells were then re-suspended in fresh RPMI media (with 10% FBS and P/S). The cell density was 250,000 cells per mL at the time of RF treatment. The determined frequency for 1.6 mL of sample article was found to be within the range of radio frequency, but there is much room for improvement in our method, depending on the coaxial cavity design such as length and the radii of the coaxial tubes which is currently under investigation. Some initial results were obtained which showed that the electromagnetic waves induced cancer cell death as assessed by MTT cytotoxicity assays. These assays measure the reduction of MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) by mitochondrial reductases leading to the formation of purple formazan. MTT assays are commonly employed to detect decreased mitochondrial metabolic activity and cell death. The ability of RF waves to induce death in BT549 cells highlights a potential new intervention for poor prognosis basal breast cancer cells in the future.