ABSTRACT
The efficacy of electrochemical therapy (EChT) in mice with implanted Jensen sarcoma tumors was reported in 1953 by Reis and Henniger (1). However, the clinical application of this modality was initiated by the Swedish radiologist, Björn Nordenström. In 1983, he published a book in which he described his theory of biologically closed electrical circuits (BCEC) and the results of two decades of research on EChT treatment of malignancies in animals based on this (2). He also reported the results of EChT in 20 lung cancer patients with 26 tumors in which he used the “skinny needle” he had developed for biopsy purposes as an electrode. Follow-up after 2 to 5 years revealed that 12 tumors had either disappeared or were markedly reduced in size. This study stimulated interest in utilizing EChT for treating lung malignancies, and Japanese researchers subsequently confirmed Nordenström’s results in animals and in several patients (3-7).
