Cold Atmospheric Plasma for Breast Cancer
April 2026
in “
Preprints.org
”
Studysummary This review discusses the potential of cold atmospheric plasma as a selective antitumor therapy for breast cancer but reports no clinical results, emphasizing its promise and the challenges to its use in precision oncology. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
Cold Atmospheric Plasma (CAP) is emerging as a promising treatment for breast cancer, particularly effective against therapy-resistant and aggressive forms like triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). CAP selectively induces oxidative stress and apoptosis in cancer cells while sparing normal tissue, enhancing the efficacy of existing treatments such as chemotherapy and immunotherapy. It works by generating reactive oxygen and nitrogen species (RONS) that disrupt cancer cell survival pathways and promote immunogenic cell death. Despite promising preclinical results, challenges such as short RONS half-life, device standardization, and limited tissue penetration hinder clinical translation. Further research and interdisciplinary collaboration are needed to optimize CAP's use in clinical settings.
