Skip to main content
Content Medically Reviewed & Updated: June 14, 2026 Call 24/7: 1-800-400-1805
1-800-400-1805 Free Case Review
Sign In Join Free

tumor treating fields for meso - anybody actually using these or is it mostly hype

Veteran · · 8 views
So my wife got diagnosed with stage II pleural meso back in June, had her pleurectomy in August and recovery's been solid. Doc mentioned ttfields as a follow-up option and honestly I don't know enough about it to know if we should be pushing for it or if it's just something they throw out there.

From what I've read it sounds like they're these electrode patches you wear that send electrical pulses through the tumor area. Makes sense in theory I guess but I'm not seeing a lot of people actually talking about using it for meso specifically. Lot of lung cancer stuff online but that's different.

Does anybody here have experience with it. Is it something worth pursuing or should we be looking at chemo instead. Navy taught me to do the research before you commit to anything and I'm still trying to figure out what the actual evidence is for this thing with meso patients.

3 Replies

Family
Joe's doing the immunotherapy route and honestly we haven't gone the ttfields direction, but I'd say push your doc for specifics on how many meso patients they've actually seen it work for. That's the question I'd be asking if we were earlier in treatment.
Medical ✓ Expert Response
What Angela said about pushing for specifics is so right, and I'd add one more layer to that. The STELLAR trial is the study you want to look up, it was specifically meso patients using TTFields alongside chemo and the median overall survival numbers were genuinely better than historical comparisons. Not a randomized controlled trial so take that with some salt, but it's not nothing either.

The thing I see families get tripped up on in my work is treating this as either/or. TTFields alongside chemo is actually how it was studied, not as a replacement. So the "should we do this instead of chemo" framing might be worth revisiting with her oncologist.

The practical side that nobody really warns you about... people underestimate the time commitment. Patients are supposed to wear the device like 18 hours a day. I've worked with folks who found that manageable and some who really struggled with it, especially around sleep and skin irritation at the electrode sites. Worth asking her care team specifically about that before committing.
1 found this helpful
Family
My dad's oncologist mentioned it too but honestly the data for stage IV pleural is pretty thin compared to what we have for glioblastoma, and since your wife's stage II that might actually matter more for her prognosis. Worth asking if her tumor markers or histology type make her a good candidate or if they're just offering it as an option.

Share Your Experience

Sign in or create a free account to share your experience.

Sign In Create Account

Discussions in this community are for informational and emotional support purposes only. They do not constitute legal advice, medical advice, or an attorney-client relationship. Always consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation. Community Guidelines

Call Now: (800) 400-1805 Free Case Review • Available 24/7