Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35861406›Full record

ArticleCancer medicine2023

Skull defect increases the tumor treating fields strength without detrimental thermogenic effect: A computational simulating research.

Taian Jin, Zhangqi Dou, Yu Zhao, Biao Jiang, Jinghong Xu, Buyi Zhang, Boxing Wei, Fei Dong, Jianmin Zhang, Chongran Sun

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Cancer medicine, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed
1.8field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 12 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of tumor-treating fields (TTFields): further perspectives.Clinical & translational oncology : official publication of the Federation of Spanish Oncology Societies and of the National Cancer Institute of Mexico · 2025
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  3. Review
  4. Article
  5. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

10 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Taian JinDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.ORCID 0000-0001-8867-5552
Zhangqi DouDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Yu ZhaoJiangsu Hailai Xinchuang Medical Technology Co., Ltd., Wuxi, Jiangsu, China.
Biao JiangDepartment of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Jinghong XuDepartment of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Buyi ZhangDepartment of Pathology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Boxing WeiDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Fei DongDepartment of Radiology, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Jianmin ZhangDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Chongran SunDepartment of Neurosurgery, The Second Affiliated Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, Hangzhou, Zhejiang, China.
Second Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University · CNWuxi Institute of Technology · CN

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundTumor treating fields (TTFields) is an FDA-approved adjuvant therapy for glioblastoma. The distribution of an applied electric field has been shown to be governed by distinct tissue structures and electrical conductivity. Of all the tissues the skull plays a significant role in modifying the distribution of the electric field due to its large impedance. In this study, we studied how remodeling of the skull would affect the therapeutic outcome of TTFields, using a computational approach.

methodsHead models were created from the head template ICBM152 and five realistic head models. The electric field distribution was simulated using the default TTFields array layout. To study the impact of the skull on the electric field, we compared three cases, namely, intact skull, defective skull, and insulating process, wherein a thin electrical insulating layer was added between the transducer and the hydrogel. The electric field strength and heating power were calculated using the FEM (finite element method).

resultsRemoving the skull flap increased the average field strength at the tumor site, without increasing the field strength of "brain". The ATVs of the supratentorial tumors were enhanced significantly. Meanwhile, the heating power of the gels increased, especially those overlapping the skull defect site. Insulation lightly decreased the electric field strength and significantly decreased the heating power in deep tumor models.

conclusionOur simulation results showed that a skull defect was beneficial for superficial tumors but had an adverse effect on deep tumors. Skull removal should be considered as an optional approach in future TTFields therapy to enhance its efficacy. An insulation process could be used as a joint option to reduce the thermogenic effect of skull defect. If excessive increase in heating power is observed in certain patients, insulating material could be used to mitigate overheating without sacrificing the therapeutic effect of TTFields.

Indexed as

Brain NeoplasmsElectric Stimulation TherapyGlioblastomaBrainCombined Modality TherapyHumansSkullfinite element analysisglioblastomaskull defecttumor treating fields

Identifiers

PMID35861406
PMCPMC9883554
OpenAlexW4286490132

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.