Chemotherapy machine is still under clinical trials being done by some American Engineering researchers along with an Engineer from Kolkata, India. A technique called hyperthermia is used to raise the temperature of the cancer cells while maintaining a low temperature for the surrounding healthy tissue so that only the cancer cells are destroyed without damaging the healthy tissue.

Use of ferro fluids is being done to stimulate the hyperthermia. A ferro fluid is magnetized within a magnetic field wherein some magnetic nanoparticles are suspended.

These fluids target the tumor magnetically after intravenous administration. The size of these magnetic nanoparticles is one billion part of a meter. They penetrate deeply into the tumor as these vessels are highly permeable.

These nanoparticles are heated as the tumor is exposed to a high frequency alternating magnetic field and thus the cancerous tissues die due to the excess heat. This method is called magnetic fluid hyperthermia or thermotherapy.

Temperatures between 41 to 45 degrees Celsius are used to slow down the growth of the tumor. However, if magnetic fluid hyperthermia is not used then the healthy cells would also be damaged.

The elevated temperature of the tumor cells is kept for about 30 minutes between 41-45 degrees Celsius while the temperature of the healthy tissues is maintained below 40 degrees Celsius. This is possible because of a process called thermoablation wherein the temperature is risen up to 56 degrees Celsius to kill, coagulate or carbonize the tissues by exposing them to a noninvasive radio frequency alternating current magnetic field. This local heat transfer raises the tissue temperature thus breaking the cell membranes.

It seems that the iron oxide nanoparticles are the most biocompatible for this technique. Platinum and nickel are also used; however, they are toxic if exposed to oxygen.

Initially, even before chemotherapy treatment came into picture, Royal Raymond Rife who was an American researcher in the early twentieth century had invented a high-magnification time-lapse cine-micrography. He had then stated that with the help of a special optical microscope some ultra small microbes that actually cause cancer could be observed. Rife also stated that a beam ray device he invented would damage the germs by changing their chemical structures. This was later rejected by the mainstream American oncologists and in the late 1940s chemotherapy came into picture becoming one of the most common method of treatment for cancer.

Later, there was an analysis done wherein it was discovered that a typical Rife device consisted of a nine-volt battery, wiring, switch, two short copper tubes, timer, etc that helped in generating current that penetrated the skin. This current was low enough to be even noticed by the patient. With this analysis, several marketing agencies of other “Rife devices” sprung up. However, most of these were convicted for committing health fraud. There were many deaths reported of some of the cancer patients using these devices as an alternative to conventional chemotherapy.

Misuse of Rife’s Name

Interest in Rife’s theory was once again generated in the 1980s by the book about Rife titled The Cancer Cure That Worked. Again new devices under Rife’s name sprung up in the market under various brands that were responsible for a huge number of deaths. Most of these seemed like an MLM scheme and were convicted of health fraud. They were sold under the names NatureTronics, AstroPulse, BioSolutions, Energy Wellness and Global Wellness. In spite of all this, a Rife International Conference was held in 2006 where several such unregistered devices were sold.

Although, technically chemotherapy machine is still on papers and under clinical trials, we can hope that there would be a better alternative to the conventional cancer treatment that would give 100% results, be painless and devoid of the side effects of chemotherapy.