John S. Kanzius (March 1, 1944 – February 18, 2009) was an American inventor, radio and TV engineer, one-time station owner and ham radio operator (call sign: K3TUP) from Erie, Pennsylvania. He invented a method that, he said, could treat virtually all forms of cancer,[1] with no side effects, and without the need for surgery or medication.[1][2][3][needs update] He also demonstrated a device that generated flammable hydrogen-containing gas from salt-water-solution by the use of radiowaves. In the media this was dubbed "burning salt water". Both effects involve the use of his radio frequencytransmitter.
Kanzius, self-taught, stated that he was motivated to research the subject of cancer treatment by his own experiences undergoing chemotherapy for treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.[4][5] He died of B-cell leukemia with complications from pneumonia without seeing FDA approval and commercialization of his invention.
The specific absorption rate for radio waves by living tissue in the proposed wavelengths and intensity levels is very low. Metals absorb this energy much more efficiently than tissue through dielectric heating; Richard Smalley has suggested that carbon nanotubes could be used to similar purpose.[10] If nanoparticles were to be preferentially bound to cancer sites, cancer cells could be destroyed or induced into apoptosis while leaving healthy tissue relatively unharmed.[11] This preferential targeting represents a major technical challenge. According to a presentation by Dr. Steven Curley, essentially all forms of cancer are potentially treatable using Kanzius RF therapy.[12]
Later in 2007, Kanzius demonstrated that the same 13.56 MHz radio frequency could be used to dissociate hydrogen and oxygen from a salt water solution, which could then be "burned."[16]Rustum Roy, a materials scientist at Pennsylvania State University, clarified that the dissociated hydrogen was burning, not the water itself: "The salt water isn't burning per se, despite appearances. The radio frequencies act to weaken the bonds between the elements that make up salt water, releasing the hydrogen.".[18]
Kanzius' demonstration received coverage from local TV stations.[19] Despite news reports that this would allow using water as an energy source, that would represent a violation of the laws of thermodynamics and is therefore not what it does.[20]
^ abcChristopher J. Gannon; Paul Cherukuri; Boris I. Yakobson; Laurent Cognet; John S. Kanzius; Carter Kittrell; R. Bruce Weisman; Matteo Pasquali; Howard K. Schmidt; Richard E. Smalley; Steven A. Curley (October 24, 2007). "Carbon nanotube-enhanced thermal destruction of cancer cells in a noninvasive radiofrequency field". Cancer. 110 (12): 2654–65. doi:10.1002/cncr.23155. PMID17960610. S2CID15680068. Our results demonstrate that SWNTs can be used as a therapeutic agent to treat malignant tumors through RF-induced thermoablation, not just as a vector for the delivery of anticancer agents
^ abKlune, J.R.; Jeyabalan, G.; Chory, E.S.; Kanzius, J.; Geller, D.A. (February 2007). "Pilot investigation of a new instrument for non-invasive radiofrequency ablation of cancer". Journal of Surgical Research. 137 (2): 263. doi:10.1016/j.jss.2006.12.293. Exposure to the radiowave field produced in vitro cell death as well as in vivo tissue destruction when metal ion enhancer solutions were utilized. Future work will focus on specific tumor destruction with tagged enhancer solutions and targeting of in vivo tumors.
^David Templeton (2007-05-02). "Cancer research inspires Erie community". Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. Retrieved 2007-09-17. Dr. Curley has submitted two research manuscripts for publication and was unable to provide the latest results. But he said he is testing the treatment of human cancer strains in animals. (...) "This is the most exciting new therapy for cancer that I have seen in over 20 years of cancer research," he said.
^
O'Mara, Michael (September 12, 2007). Burning Water. Erie, P.A.: WKYC. Archived from the original on February 25, 2009. Retrieved 2007-09-14. Note: This broadcast video, although aired in September 2007, contains archive footage of John Kanzius from May 2007.