BY
Prof Dr. Mohammad Munir Hasan
ABSTRACT
A new model for the treatment of cancer which is based on the feedback control system has been proposed. This innovative approach is completely different from all other approaches (surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, gene therapy, immunotherapy, etc.) on which the researches are being carried out currently. We know that there are many feedback control systems working in our body to control various outputs. If a person does not get cancer throughout his life, it is because of the presence of such a control system working in the body. Cancer is developed due to the abnormal functioning or break in this control system. The treatment lies in the repair of the control system, which may be done by supplying low-energy resonant monochromatic radiations of specific predetermined frequencies to the cancerous cells and help them absorb this energy by resonance. This process is likely to bridge the break in the control system and the cancer may be treated in a natural way.
KEY WORDS
Cancer, Modeling of Cancer, Feedback Control System, Treatment of Cancer
INTRODUCTION
Cancer is undoubtedly one of the most fatal diseases of the modern era. Estimates of the worldwide incidence, mortality and prevalence of 26 cancers show that in the year 2002, there were 10.9 million new cases, 6.7 million deaths and 24.6 millions persons alive with cancer [1, 2]. It is estimated that by the year 2020, cancer rates could further increase by 50 percent [3]. The World Cancer Report tells us that cancer rates are set to increase at an alarming rate globally [4].
We can make a difference by taking action today. Apart from conventional methods of treatment, the new avenues are to be explored to find a treatment of this dreadful disease. Accordingly, this paper suggests a new model which merits consideration for researchers.
So far most of the applications of electronic and electrical engineering in medical profession have been in the field of diagnostics. In fact such application is so general that the persons in the medical profession find themselves helpless without the electro-medical equipment. The principles underlying the functioning of these electro-medical equipments are either electronic, electromagnetic, optical or sonic properties of the various tissues and organs of the living body. The rapid development in this field and their universal acceptance is mainly because of the beauty of the electronic methods which are very accurate, fast in response, mostly non-intrusive, easy to handle and needing comparatively low maintenance. In the field of therapeutics although the application so far is very much limited, yet looking at the organic composition of the living bodies, consisting of atoms, ions and molecules which not only have chemical mass but also have the electrical and magnetic properties, it is not difficult to appreciate that the electrical and magnetic methods can play a very important role in this direction as well. In the following, a method has been described which could possibly be used in the treatment of many diseases including cancer, using the intrinsic resonance characteristic property of the atoms and molecules.
It is well known that there are many automatic or feedback control systems working in our body to control the metabolic and other behaviour to keep the output quantities within well defined limits [5]. For example, our body temperature remains at 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (37 degrees Celsius) whatever the outer or surrounding temperature may be. Similarly, to control the blood pressure in the body, baroreceptors detect the actual blood pressure, and if it is different from the normal or preset value, the vasomotor centre, arterioles, aorta, the vagus and glossopharyngeal nerves working as a part of the feedback control system keep the pressure within limits.
It is
known that all healthy bodies carry some cancerous cells throughout their lives
without forming a malignant tumor [5]. It must then be due to a feedback control
system in the body which effectively controls the growth of the cancerous cells.
Then cancer can be viewed as the break or malfunction of this control system.
The schematic diagram of a typical feedback control system is shown in Fig.1.
Fig. 1 A Typical Feedback Control System
The output of a feedback control system is controlled by the following functional components:
• Reference Input (or pre-set value)
• Sensing
• Feedback component
• Comparison (generation of error signal), and
• Processing
Looking at the functions of these components and at the modes which produce cancer, there are reasons to believe that in the case of cancer the fault may lie in sensing part of the control system.
From control system point of view, a cancerous cell has two prominent characteristic properties; (i) undesired and rapid rate of proliferation, and (ii) inability of this cell to send the information to the control system which controls the growth of the cells. Looking at the above, it appears that on the one hand some parts of the cancerous cells have acquired higher energies to effect rapid rate of cell growth, and on the other hand the parts which are responsible for sending signals to the control system have become dead or almost dead due to loss of energy. So, this problem can be viewed as the energy imbalance within the cells from one part to the other, changing the normal energy bonds, such that when high-energy part of the cell starts rapid and unusual growth, the other low-energy or almost-dead part is unable to transmit this information to the control system which, quite obviously, cannot take corrective measures by losing the normal feedback control that prevents excessive growth.
In this paper, it is proposed that this lack of information or break in the control system is due to the decrease in the amplitudes of vibrational or rotational motions of some of the elements or molecules in the cells, and it is proposed that if some desired quantity of energy is supplied selectively to the cancerous cells from some external source in such a way that the amplitudes of vibrational and/or rotational motions of the elements is enhanced, it is likely that the break in the control system may be repaired. And if it is so, then it will once again start sending signals to the control system which in turn will take desired corrective measure and thus cure it in a natural way.
The above principle which is based on quantum theory can be elaborated in terms of the following three properties of atoms and molecules:
1. Atoms, ions and molecules exhibit internal resonances at certain discrete characteristic frequencies. These internal atomic resonances occur at frequencies ranging from the audio up to and beyond the optical regions.
2. Signals applied to an atom (or a molecule) at or near one of its internal resonances will cause a measurable response in the atom and may absorb energy from the signals under normal positive-temperature thermal equilibrium conditions.
3. The strength of the total response that will be obtained from a collection of many atoms (or molecules) of the same kind depends directly on population difference, i.e., the difference in population between the lower and upper quantum energy levels responsible for that particular transition.
According to quantum theory, every atom has a set of allowed energy levels located at definite energy values characteristic of that type of atom. If two of these energy levels occur at energy values Em and En where Em > En, then the atom will exhibit a transition at the frequency fmn, given by:
fmn = Em - En
h
where h is Planck’s constant (= 6.626 x 10-34 joule-sec.). If a signal is applied at this transition, then the atom may absorb energy from the signal. When we plot absorption versus frequency in the immediate vicinity of any of the transition frequencies of the atom, the resulting plot generally has the appearance of a resonance curve. The strength and the line width of each individual resonance will, in general, be different. These atomic resonances are by no means limited to optical frequencies, but also occur at microwave and even at lower frequencies. A typical diagram showing three quantum energy levels and corresponding resonant responses are shown in Figures 2a and 2b, respectively.
Real atoms and molecules have much more numerous and complex arrays of allowed energy levels. Fig. 3 shows an actual recording [6] of a set of closely-spaced absorption lines or characteristic resonances when infrared radiation was passed through a sample consisting of HCI vapor.
The most important point to consider here is that the atomic resonant response (absorption) is significant, and the magnitude of the response, under most circumstances, is directly proportional to the magnitude of the applied signal.
Now let us discuss briefly what happens when the energy in the signals in the form of electromagnetic radiations are absorbed in the organic materials.
The energy in a photon of electromagnetic radiation is given by the equation
E = h f
with the result that higher frequency
radiations (e.g. x-rays and gamma-rays) have high photon energy levels. The
amount of absorption of energy is related to the density of the material,
, and the mass attenuation coefficient,
mm.
Thus the linear absorption coefficient is given
by:
m
= mm
From above, it is clear that the absorption of energy depends upon the molecular composition of the substance and the energy of the incident photons. Generally, the mass attenuation coefficient decreases with increasing photon energy [7] and so, high-energy radiations experience relatively low absorption by the tissues, and can penetrate deep into the body or even pass through it.
The absorption of high energy x-ray or gamma-ray quanta occurs by three main processes: (1) the photoelectric effect, (2) the Compton effect and (3) pair production. The photoelectric effect is predominant at photon energy of 100 KeV or less. In this case, a collision between the incident photon and an electron of the material can result in the electron gaining a substantial kinetic energy. So much, in fact, that in some cases it can ionize neighboring atoms or molecules. Compton scattering process occurs at energies greater than 100 KeV. The collision results in the electron assuming a kinetic energy greater than as in the case of photoelectric effect. The difference between the two cases is that in the former the photon gives up all its energy in the collision and hence disappears. In the latter case only a fraction of original photon energy is given up. The photon is thus scattered after the collision and does not disappear. Pair production occurs only at photon energies greater than 1 MeV. However, the gamma-rays of use in biophysics rarely have this much energy and so, this case is not too important.
It will, therefore, be seen from above that the absorption of high-energy radiations will, in general, harm the human tissues and so, cannot be used as therapeutic tool. Let us now see what happens if comparatively low energy radiations are used.
From the equation, E = hf, it is seen that the low frequency radiations will have low photon energy levels with consequent increase in the mass attenuation coefficient. The incident radiations thus may not pass through the body. The actual depth of penetration will, in fact, depend on the photon energy and the density of the material. If, now, somehow the absorption property of one of the organic tissue may be enhanced, then it is more likely that the particular organic molecules receive appreciable quantity of energy. This can be achieved by the Nuclear Resonance Energy Absorption (NREA) process. God has been very kind to us by making the molecular structure of each and every organic tissue different from others and so, the resonant frequency pattern for one kind of tissue has to be different from others. Thus, when a monochromatic radiation corresponding to one of the resonant frequencies of a tissue molecule will produce maximal absorption of energy in that particular tissue, the other kind of tissues may not absorb much energy to produce any appreciable effects on them. So, if a monochromatic resonant low-energy radiation is applied the molecular energy level can be increased without producing Compton scattering or photoelectric effect. The molecular energy of the tissues can, therefore, be increased without any harmful radiation effects. Thus using this process those organic tissue molecules with are on the way towards becoming dead due to the loss of vibrational or rotational energy, can be re-vitalized by providing external energy by radiation absorption process.
As explained earlier, to avoid any harmful radiation effects (Photoelectric or Compton, etc.) the photon energy for absorption should be very low, a few eV or less. These energies correspond to frequencies in the optical band, or lower frequencies. Luckily, as mentioned earlier, the atomic or molecular resonances are by no means limited to optical or higher frequencies, but also occur at microwave or even lower frequencies.
It is also important to note that most (but not all) of the lower frequency resonances in atoms are observed when a strong dc magnetic field is applied [6]. In this process, known as the Magnetic Resonance Transition, the observed resonance frequency is usually more or less directly proportional to the strength of the applied dc magnetic field. The resonances occurring at radio frequencies in typical magnetic fields of a few thousand gauss arise from the intrinsic magnetic moments possessed by the nuclei of many atoms, leading to the name Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR), while the microwave frequency resonances arise from the magnetic moments associated with the orbital and/or the spin properties of the electrons in certain atoms, leading to the name Electron Paramagnetic Resonance (EPR). Hence by using high intensity dc magnetic fields lower energy signal absorption may be carried out effectively with possible curing effect without any harmful effects of radiations.
Here one more point is worth considering. Although at resonance peaks the energy absorption is maximum, yet this resonance occurs at one single frequency (or very thin line width), and if the incident radiations are of much wider band width and/or are incoherent (i.e. the various photons are not in time or space phase) then most of the incident radiations cannot be utilized and thus will be wasted. Conventional sources of light such as fluorescent tubes, incandescent lamps or even the Sun are incoherent sources [8] and so are of very little practical use. If, however, these radiations are made monochromatic then at resonance almost the whole energy of the incident photons can be absorbed.
Although the Nuclear Resonance Energy Absorption (NREA) for the treatment of cancer can be made effective at optical frequencies, yet due to the particle-like property of the higher-energy photons the problem of incoherence may impose some difficulties. The lower frequency radiations, however, behave more like continuous waves and hopefully infrared or even lower frequencies may give better results than the radiations in the optical range.
METHODOLOGY
In order to carry out research under this hypothesis, it is required that the cancerous and healthy tissues of the same part of the body (organ, skin, etc.) be analyzed by NMR spectroscopy to get two response curves within a thin band of selected frequencies. These responses be compared to detect any change in the amplitudes corresponding to some important elements or molecules. If a change, especially a decrease in the amplitude is detected then that change can be attributed to the conversion of normal cells to cancerous cells. It is expected that different types of cancers may give different results. Large number of tissues may be analyzed to confirm this behavior. If the results are found consistent in a particular type of cancer, then the affected part of the body may be exposed to external low-energy monochromatic radiations corresponding to the detected frequency response (probably by LASER) in an attempt to increase the amplitude of vibration by resonance.
As the internal organs will be difficult to reach, the research may be started by experimenting on skin cancers. If results are found encouraging, then the other parts may be treated. The required energy may be taken to the different organs inside the body with the help of optical fibers.
CONCLUSION
A new approach has been proposed for the treatment of cancer. It is a very logical approach and requires that the research may be carried out using this approach as well.
REFERENCES
1. D. Max Parkin, et. Al., CA Cancer J Clin: No. 55, March-April 2005, pp 74-108.
2. Cancer Research UK, The Incidence of Cancer Worldwide: http://info.cancerresearchuk.org/cancerstats/geographic/world/incidence/
3. World Cancer Report – International Agency for Research on Cancer, 2003
4. WHO Report: Alarming Increase in Cancer Rates, 2003
5. Arthur C. Guyton: Textbook of Medical Physiology, W.B. Saunders Company, Sixth Edition.
6. Siegman, A.E.: An Introduction to Lasers and Masers, Mc-Graw-Hill Book Company, 1978.
7. Hallett, F.R., et.al.: Introductory Biophysics, Methuen Publications, 1977.
8. Beesley, M.J.: Lasers and Their Applications, Taylor & Francis Ltd., 1978.
Extract from the Technical Comments of
NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF HEALTH, USA
National Institute of Health
National Cancer Institute
Bethesda, Maryland 20892
June 14, 1990
Dear Dr Hasan:
Your letter of May 9 addressed to Dr. Vincent T. DeVita, Jr. has been referred to me for reply. Dr. DeVita left the National Cancer Institute in 1988 and is now directing Cancer research at Memorial Hospital in New York City.
Your idea of attempting to control the metabolic behavior of cells as part of a feedback control system is intriguing, but you should attempt to develop some preliminary experimental data to demonstrate that you are on the right path and to make your proposal competitive and credible to others in your search for (financial) support.
Your hypothesis that there may be frequencies of electromagnetic radiation which might be used to resonate with particular chemical structures of electronic configurations so as to enhance the absorption of energy by a biochemical system has its counterpart in the realm of photochemistry, where double-bonded groups in molecules are often sensitive to specific wavelengths of optical radiation. In the field of microwave absorption spectroscopy, the vibrational and rotational motions of particular molecular structures are associated with resonant absorption at characteristic frequencies. Similar observations can be made for resonant modes of absorption in infrared spectroscopy.
It is tempting to liken cancer cells to elements of a feedback control system and to seek to control their metabolic behavior by modulating the energy input in a selective manner. You no doubt appreciate that the complex biological world of normal and cancerous cells is governed not only by energy considerations such as those you develop in your theoretical model, but also by complex subtleties of molecular biology and chemistry.
You may find interesting two other observations in biophysical research which came to my mind when I read your proposal. One of my fellow staff members at the G. E. Research Laboratory in Schenectady around 1964, Dr. Theodore Mihran, was an electrical engineer working in the engineering and mathematical design of high power klystrons and radio frequency traveling wave electron tubes. He also spent a short time around 1965 on a visit to Oak Ridge National Laboratory studying biological cell synchrony, and found that the mathematical equations which describe the build up in amplification of oscillations in electronic power tubes was identical with those governing certain conditions he observed in the growth of cell colonies. This work was never published to my knowledge.
An eminent retired investigator in Stockholm, Professor Emeritus Nordenstrom of the Karolinska Institute, published a handsome book in 1983 on “Bioelectronic Circuits in the Body”. He postulated a number of closed feedback loops in the body in which charged entities could circulate in systemic circuits. The work was supported by experimental data and was remarkable in that he claimed to have obtained complete regressions of malignant tumors in the treatment of a dozen or so patients by the application of externally imposed electromagnetic or electric fields. In other experiments the induction of permanent reorganizations in the structures of biological tissues was made visible by x-radiographs showing the presence and radio-opacity of these solid structures in the thorax. The explanations of these phenomena are not clear, and the work must be regarded as largely empirical in its approach.
Roger S. Powell
Program Director
Diagnostic Imaging Research Branch
Radiation Research Program
CC: Dr. Broder
Dr. Chabner
Dr Antoine
Dr. Shtern