CION Ameerpet
Tumour-treating fields (TTFields), sold as Optune, add wearable electric-field therapy to glioblastoma treatment. Here is what the evidence really shows — and how CION helps you decide.
Tumour-treating fields, often shortened to TTFields and sold under the brand name Optune, are a way of treating glioblastoma without extra drugs and without surgery. Instead of medicine, the therapy uses low-intensity alternating electric fields delivered to the head.
You wear soft adhesive patches — called transducer arrays — on a shaved scalp. These connect by cable to a small portable generator you carry in a bag. The device is set to a specific frequency (200 kHz for brain tumours) that is thought to interfere with cancer cells while they divide, slowing tumour growth. It does not treat the tumour by heating it or by radiation, and it is not felt as an electric shock.
Crucially, TTFields is an add-on. It is used alongside chemotherapy for glioblastoma — not instead of surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. It is one part of a full brain tumour treatment plan, not a stand-alone cure.
In the pivotal EF-14 phase 3 trial (Stupp et al., JAMA 2017), adding TTFields to maintenance temozolomide raised median overall survival in newly diagnosed glioblastoma to about 20.9 months, versus 16.0 months for temozolomide alone. TTFields is now listed as a treatment option in the NCCN Central Nervous System Cancers guidelines and is recognised by EANO. The benefit is real but modest, and results vary from person to person.
The idea is simple even if the science is complex: use electric fields to disrupt cancer cells at the moment they are most vulnerable — when they divide.
When a cell divides, it relies on tiny, charged internal structures lining up precisely. The alternating electric fields are thought to interfere with this process in rapidly dividing tumour cells, disrupting their division. Normal brain cells, which divide rarely, are largely unaffected.
Four adhesive transducer arrays are placed on the shaved scalp in a pattern mapped to your tumour location. Cables run to a lightweight generator worn in a shoulder bag or backpack. The head must be kept shaved so the arrays stay in good contact.
The therapy only helps if it is worn for a large share of the day — trial results were best above 18 hours daily. You keep it on while sleeping, working, and moving around, removing it only briefly to shower and to change arrays every few days.
TTFields is approved and guideline-listed specifically for glioblastoma (GBM) — the most common Grade 4 malignant primary brain tumour in adults. It is used in two situations:
It is not a standard treatment for benign brain tumours, low-grade gliomas, or brain metastases (cancer that has spread to the brain from the lung, breast, kidney, or elsewhere). If your diagnosis is not glioblastoma, TTFields is unlikely to be part of your plan. The first step is always a precise diagnosis and molecular profile — which is why we start every case with imaging review, pathology, and MGMT and IDH testing before discussing any therapy. Ask our team whether TTFields applies to your case.
We're never more than 30 minutes away. Same panel of specialists at every centre. Same tumour board reviews. Same NCCN protocols. Pick the closest one and call directly — or let us pick for you.
CION Ameerpet
CION Kukatpally
CION L.B. Nagar
CION Tolichowki
CION Masab Tank
CION Banjara Hills
CION Kompally
CION Balanagar
CION Siddipet
CION Sangareddy
Not sure which centre fits best? Tell us where you are — we'll suggest the closest one with the right specialists.
Help me pick the right centreTravelling for treatment? We may have a centre right where you are.
Don't see your city? Call 18002028726 — we'll find your nearest CION partner centre.
Trained at AIIMS, Tata Memorial, and leading international centres. Combined 150+ years of experience. Every complex case is reviewed by 3+ of them — together.
MBBS(Gold Medal), DNB(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Gold Medal)
MBBS, MD(General Medicine), DM(Medical Oncology)(Adyar,Chennai), ECMO, MRCP SCE(UK)
MBBS, MD (General Medicine), DrNB (Medical Oncology), ECMO, MRCP SCE (Medical Oncology) (UK)
MBBS (AIIMS), MS (Surgery) (AIIMS), DNB (Surgical Oncology), MRCS (Edinburgh)
MBBS, MS(General Surgery), M.Ch(Surgical Oncology), FMAS, FARIS(Ongoing)
MBBS, MS (General Surgery), DrNB (Surgical Oncology), FALS Oncology
Want a specific doctor for your case? Mention them when booking.
Book Free ConsultationShare your name and number — we'll call you back within 30 minutes to schedule your consultation.
Before committing to a therapy worn nearly all day, get a clear, unbiased picture of whether TTFields suits your glioblastoma — from a team that decides for healing, not billing.
The strongest evidence for TTFields in glioblastoma comes from the EF-14 phase 3 trial (Stupp and colleagues, published in JAMA in 2017). This is the study that led to TTFields being added to international guidelines.
| Outcome (newly diagnosed GBM) | Temozolomide + TTFields | Temozolomide alone |
|---|---|---|
| Median overall survival | ~20.9 months | ~16.0 months |
| Median progression-free survival | ~6.7 months | ~4.0 months |
| Survival at 5 years | ~13% | ~5% |
Source: Stupp R, et al. Effect of Tumor-Treating Fields Plus Maintenance Temozolomide vs Maintenance Temozolomide Alone on Survival in Patients With Glioblastoma. JAMA. 2017. Figures are trial medians; individual outcomes vary.
Two honest caveats matter. First, the benefit — while genuine and reflected in NCCN and EANO guidance — is measured in months of median survival, not a cure. Second, the benefit was strongly linked to how much of the day patients wore the device. This is why compliance is the central practical question, not an afterthought.
The single most important factor in whether TTFields helps is how many hours a day you wear it. Trial data showed the best results when the device was worn at least 18 hours a day, with further improvement above 90% of the time. That is a serious lifestyle change, and being honest about it upfront respects you as a patient.
None of this is a reason to rule TTFields out — many patients adapt well. But it is a reason to talk it through carefully with people who know your situation. Call 18002028726 or book a free consultation to discuss how it would fit your daily life.
Because TTFields adds no drugs, it does not worsen the usual chemotherapy side effects such as nausea, hair loss from medicines, or low blood counts. Its side-effect profile is different:
There is no evidence that the fields harm family members or people nearby. Serious device-related problems are uncommon. Your care team monitors your scalp and adjusts array placement as needed.
The MGMT methylation status of a glioblastoma still matters when TTFields is being considered. MGMT-methylated tumours respond better to alkylating chemotherapy (temozolomide), which TTFields is combined with. Knowing your MGMT and IDH results — part of the standard biopsy workup CION arranges — helps your team set realistic expectations and decide whether adding TTFields is worthwhile for you.
TTFields therapy is delivered through the manufacturer's certified device programme — it is not an in-house CION machine, and we will never oversell it. What our neuro-oncology team does is make sure it is considered properly and coordinated with the treatment we deliver directly:
Whether TTFields turns out to be right for you or not, you deserve a team that walks this journey with you and makes decisions for healing, not billing. Explore the full picture on our brain tumour treatment in Hyderabad page, or book a free consultation.
Get a free written second opinion from CION's neuro-oncology tumour board — we'll weigh the survival data against the daily wear commitment for your specific situation.
These aren't paid endorsements or written reviews. These are video testimonials from real patients and families — recorded on their own phones, in their own words. Pick any one. Watch it. Then decide.
Read all 800+ reviews on Google
Start Your Story. Book Free Consultation.Tumour-treating fields (TTFields) are low-intensity, alternating electric fields delivered to the scalp through adhesive patches called transducer arrays. The fields — set at 200 kHz for glioblastoma — are thought to disrupt cancer cells as they divide, slowing tumour growth. The device (marketed as Optune) is worn on the shaved head and connected to a small portable generator carried in a bag. It is a non-invasive, drug-free add-on used alongside temozolomide chemotherapy, not a replacement for surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. It is approved for newly diagnosed and recurrent glioblastoma in adults.
In the EF-14 phase 3 trial, adding TTFields to maintenance temozolomide after chemoradiation improved median overall survival to about 20.9 months versus 16.0 months for temozolomide alone in newly diagnosed glioblastoma. Five-year survival was roughly 13% versus 5%. The benefit was greatest in patients who wore the device for a higher share of the day. TTFields is now included as a treatment option in NCCN central nervous system guidelines. Individual results vary widely — TTFields is not a cure and does not help every patient.
The clinical benefit depends heavily on compliance — how much of the day the arrays are worn and switched on. Trial data show the best outcomes in patients who wore the device for at least 18 hours a day (about 75% of the time), and results improved further above 90%. In practice this means wearing it almost continuously, day and night, removing it only to shower and to change the arrays every few days. This is a significant lifestyle commitment, and honest discussion about whether it fits your daily life is part of good counselling.
The most common side effect is skin irritation under the arrays — redness, itching, or small sores where the patches stick to the scalp. This is usually mild and manageable with array repositioning and skin care. Because there are no added drugs, TTFields does not worsen the typical chemotherapy side effects such as nausea or low blood counts. Some patients find the visible device, the need to keep the head shaved, and carrying the generator emotionally or socially difficult. There is no evidence of harm to people nearby.
TTFields therapy (Optune) is delivered through the manufacturer's certified device programme, not as an in-house CION machine. What CION does is help you understand whether TTFields is appropriate for your tumour type and situation, coordinate it alongside the treatment we deliver directly — glioblastoma chemoradiation and maintenance chemotherapy, radiation therapy, molecular testing, and supportive care — and support you through the practical and financial questions. We give you a clear, unbiased picture rather than a sales pitch.
The established, guideline-backed use of TTFields in the brain is for glioblastoma (supratentorial Grade 4 glioma) — both newly diagnosed and recurrent. It is not a standard treatment for benign brain tumours, low-grade gliomas, or brain metastases. TTFields is also approved for certain chest cancers (mesothelioma and, in some regions, non-small cell lung cancer), but those are separate indications. If you have a brain tumour that is not glioblastoma, TTFields is unlikely to be part of your plan — a brain tumour assessment will clarify which evidence-based options apply to you.
For newly diagnosed glioblastoma, TTFields is started during the maintenance phase — after surgery and after the initial 6 weeks of concurrent temozolomide chemoradiation, alongside the monthly temozolomide cycles. For recurrent glioblastoma, it can be considered when the tumour comes back. The decision is best made with your neuro-oncology team as part of the overall plan, weighing the survival data against the daily wear commitment, skin side effects, and cost. A second opinion before committing is completely reasonable.
Browse our complete guide to brain tumours and brain cancer — symptoms, scans, tumour types, treatment, prognosis and life after treatment. Tap any topic to read more.