Exploring Bioelectricity in Oncology Treatments

“We have learned to read a tumor's genes. The next question is whether we can also read its electrical behavior — and let that inform care.”

— Wanni Davis, PhD, MBA, Chief Operating Officer

When I talk with patients facing cancer, I am honest that it is not a single disease but a family of them, each shaped by genetics, environment, and the immune system. That complexity is exactly why an additional way of seeing the disease is worth our attention. A growing body of research suggests that tumors are also electrically distinct — marked by altered membrane voltages, irregular ion channel activity, and disrupted communication between cells.

If that holds up, it gives oncology another dimension to read. Genetics tells us about the instructions a cancer is following; its electrical state may tell us something about how it is behaving right now. The two are complementary, and clinicians are generally glad to have more than one vantage point on a hard problem.

The modalities being explored

Several electrical approaches are under study. Tumor Treating Fields apply low-intensity alternating fields to interfere with cell division and are the most clinically developed of the group. Modulated electro-hyperthermia combines localized heating with field effects. Nanotechnology-based platforms aim to deliver effects deep within tissue when activated by external fields. These differ in mechanism, but they share an orientation toward the tumor's physical and electrical characteristics.

Tumor cells viewed under the microscope. I am careful, with patients and in print, to frame these as complementary. They are designed to work with chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and surgery, not to replace the therapies that have moved survival curves. The realistic hope is amplification and precision, not a stand-alone miracle.

“Oncology is where the stakes are highest and the upside is greatest. That is exactly where bold science belongs.”

— Ken Mayer, Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer

A pathway, not a single device

Electrome's oncology direction integrates bioelectric mapping, AI-driven analytics, a knowledge graph, and clinical partnerships into a single pathway. The aim is to match a given case to a bioelectric protocol and to keep learning from the result. Open directions include AI-personalized bioelectric prescriptions, minimally invasive options for metastatic disease, and the integration of biomarker and patient-reported data so that the patient's own experience shapes the plan.

There is also a quality-of-life dimension I never discount. Approaches that can be delivered in outpatient settings and may reduce reliance on systemic drugs speak directly to what patients tell me they want: effective care that leaves them more like themselves.

A scientist at work on cancer research.