i hope people will find the “right” source of expertise on PEMF and not continue to chase the snakeoil hype out there on the web. I will continue to share this site as a decent/solid place for PEMF info. (happy new year @Bob!)
facebook share:
A Breakthrough Moment for Pancreatic Cancer and a Sign of What’s Coming
For the first time in nearly 30 years, there is genuinely good news in pancreatic cancer treatment.
On February 12, 2026, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved Optune Pax, a wearable, non-invasive medical device for adults with locally advanced pancreatic cancer.
What makes this so exciting?
Optune Pax uses Tumor Treating Fields (TTFields) gentle, alternating electrical fields delivered through adhesive pads worn on the abdomen. These fields physically disrupt cancer cell division, slowing tumour growth while leaving healthy cells largely untouched.
No needles.
No radiation.
No systemic toxicity.
Just physics doing what drugs often can’t.
Treatment reimagined
This device is:
• Portable
• Used daily at home
• Designed to work alongside standard chemotherapy (gemcitabine and nab-paclitaxel)
This represents a shift away from hospital-bound cancer care and toward empowered, home-based treatment a huge win for quality of life.
The results that led to approval
In a large Phase 3 study of 571 patients:
• Patients lived significantly longer when the device was added to chemotherapy
• Quality of life was better preserved, with delayed worsening of pain and digestion
• Side effects were mostly limited to manageable skin irritation under the patches
In pancreatic cancer one of the hardest cancers to treat any meaningful survival improvement without added toxicity is a powerful signal of progress.
A turning point in thinking
This approval fits perfectly with the FDA’s “Home as a Health Care Hub” vision advanced treatments that fit into real life, not the other way around.
The announcement was supported by Marty Makary, a pancreatic surgeon who became the FDA’s 27th Commissioner in 2025 after years of innovation at Johns Hopkins University.
Why this gives real hope
This isn’t just one new device.
It’s:
• A brand-new therapeutic class
• A proof-of-concept that pancreatic cancer can be disrupted in new ways
• A platform that can be combined with future therapies
• A signal that innovation in this space is finally accelerating
For patients, families, and everyone working outside the box to improve outcomes — this is encouraging, validating, and long overdue.
Hope doesn’t arrive all at once.
Sometimes it arrives one breakthrough at a time.
SOURCES: