A prototype of a Washington County native's invention to target cancer cells and eradicate them with radio waves is nearing completion, with federal funds now available to test its effectiveness.

	John Beale, Post-Gazette John Kanzius with his original prototype of a cancer treatment device designed to zap tumors using targeted radio waves. The original device was fashioned from a pie pan. The fluorescent tube lights from waves passing through the open space of the device. Click photo for larger image.

"The funding is there, the machine is built, and it's all coming together," said John Kanzius, 60, now of Millcreek, Erie County.

His invention and procedure, described as a potential breakthrough aimed at treating cancer without inducing harmful side effects, is generating interest in government and the medical community, not to mention among cancer victims who have begun volunteering as test subjects if and when human trials begin.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center has landed a $200,000 federal grant to begin fast-track testing of Kanzius' procedure, for which he is seeking a patent while completing a second patent that, he says, will enhance the first with "advanced 21st century technology."

Energy-Onix, a Valatie, N.Y., company that produces AM and FM radio transmitters, hopes to complete the prototype radio-wave generator by month's end.

Once the company is sure the generator is sufficiently powerful, sturdy and user-friendly, it will ship it to UPMC to test Kanzius' treatment procedure on small animals. Testing could begin in February -- nine months after Kanzius filed his original patent application, which is still awaiting formal approval.

Dr. David A. Geller, co-director of UPMC's Liver Cancer Center, will be principal investigator in animal testing. If the one- to two-year testing process is successful, he said, UPMC will seek funding once again to begin human clinical trials.

"UPMC is looking forward to getting started with pre-clinical animal testing of the first-generation device," Geller said. "We've received generous seed money that allows this to happen."

U.S. Sens. Arlen Specter and Rick Santorum, both Pennsylvania Republicans, included $200,000 in the recently passed omnibus spending bill to meet UPMC's request for funding to begin testing Kanzius' procedure.

Specter met with Kanzius in August after learning about his patent application, which he described afterward as "very promising.""I remain cautiously optimistic this will do what everyone thinks it will do," Kanzius said. "It amazes me it's come this far this fast."

His effort to defeat a disease that's befallen him began when he took notice while undergoing chemotherapy how other patients were suffering from the harsh effects of the treatments.

In the following 13 months, he invented a generator designed to focus radio frequencies inside the body.

He also developed a complementary method of targeting cancer cells so radio waves inflict them with a fatal fever without harming healthy tissue or producing debilitating side effects. Details are unavailable because his patent has not yet been approved.

After undergoing a recent round of chemotherapy for rare B-cell leukemia, the housebound Kanzius is preparing a second patent application he says details how to make cancer cells even more susceptible to radio frequencies. He hopes to file it next week.

If his theory holds, a cancer victim could receive innumerable treatments without dire side effects, although it's Kanzius' hope to kill cancer cells throughout the body with one or a quick series of treatments.

His noninvasive procedure is designed to treat most forms of cancer, including blood-based, lymphatic and brain cancers, and destroy metasticized cells -- those that have migrated to other parts of the body.

The 1962 graduate of Trinity Area High School near Washington, Pa., might seem an unlikely person to invent a high-tech cancer treatment.

With a technical degree in electronics, the former RCA employee went on to build and operate radio and television stations as a partner in Jet Broadcasting Co. Inc. in Erie. But he holds neither a college nor medical degree.

He sold his last radio station in November 2003 and retired while undergoing cancer treatment.

But after witnessing the degree of suffering from cancer treatments, he began toying with ideas that took full shape while he was suffering from insomnia induced by steroid treatments and chemotherapy.

While there are hopes his treatment can cure cancer, it's yet to be tested on animals or humans, and its potential remains a matter of professional opinion and speculation.

Geller, who has described Kanzius' inventions as a potential breakthrough in cancer treatment, said he's "cautiously optimistic" while "recognizing there may be setbacks."

"In reality, we are blazing a new research path," he said. "I think this is important in regards to the fact we're always looking for novel approaches to treating cancer. But nothing happens without laborious benchmark research and testing. We hope we can establish a new device that will provide new treatment options."