New Hope In Fight Against One of the Deadliest Cancers

Landmark Multi-year Study Finds Biofield Therapy Slows Pancreatic Cancer Growth and Spread

A rigorous new study at MD Anderson Cancer Center reveals that biofield therapy (BT)—a non-invasive, practitioner-administered therapy also known as energy medicine—can significantly slow the growth and spread of pancreatic cancer in pre-clinical models. The findings, published in Cancer Medicine, mark one of the most comprehensive investigations to date on the biological effects of BT.

Conducted over four years, the preclinical study demonstrated that BT significantly reduced cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. Notably, it reduced metastasis to the liver in mouse models by more than 50% in repeated studies. The results point to its potential as a complementary treatment strategy for one of the most lethal and treatment-resistant cancers.

The study also showed BT triggered changes in mitochondrial structure of cancer cells (swelling and disordered structure), shifts in cell membrane bioelectric voltage potential toward hyperpolarization, and suppression of cancer-related genes, including FOXM1, a key driver of cancer growth and spread.

Biofield therapies are widely used in integrative medicine, but their biological mechanisms remain poorly understood. To ensure rigor, the team used strict experimental controls — including sham, incubator, and colony control groups — and worked with three independent biofield practitioners.

The researchers focused on pancreatic cancer, one of the most lethal malignancies with 10% or less survival rate over 12 months for those with metastatic disease, because it represents a uniquely urgent challenge for medicine.

"We started with cells and animals so we could be sure there was no placebo effect,” said Dr. Lorenzo Cohen, co-lead author and Director of the Integrative Medicine Program at The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, one of the world’s top cancer research institutions. “And what we saw was a consistent, meaningful reduction in tumor invasiveness and metastasis. This study shows that it’s time to further explore how complementary methods like biofield therapy work and if they have a role in cancer care.”

The preliminary BT study sets the stage for human clinical trials and deeper mechanistic exploration. “This study doesn’t answer every question—but it suggests there’s something happening between biofield therapists, the cells, and animals that science needs to better understand,” said Dr. Cohen. “This could open new doors not only for how we understand cancer and its treatment, especially in combination with standard care, but for how we approach health and healing more broadly.”

To learn more from the study investigators directly, and hear the stories behind their work, listen to the Phenomena podcast, coming May 2026.

See the full study publication in Cancer Medicine here

Join the Community

Summary of study

The Preclinical Effects and Mechanisms of Biofield Therapy on Pancreatic Cancer Cell Growth and Metastasis

Research Question: Can human Biofield Therapy (BT) physically alter the growth, spread, and underlying biology of pancreatic cancer in lab cells and animal models?

Key Findings:

Tumor growth consistently slowed:
BT reliably suppressed the growth of multiple types of pancreatic cancer cells and patient-derived tumor organoids, with results reproduced across three different BT therapists and numerous repeated experiments.
Ability to spread (metastasis) reduced:
BT significantly reduced cancer cells' ability to migrate and invade through tissue barriers—key steps required for metastasis.
Effect appears cancer-specific:
The growth-suppressing effects were seen across cancerous cell types but not in normal pancreatic cells, suggesting BT may preferentially target tumor cells.
Mitochondrial structures visibly damaged:
Microscopy revealed that BT caused significant swelling and disruption to cancer cell mitochondria (the cell’s energy-producing structures), indicating cellular stress or dysfunction.
Cancer cells stuck in neutral:
BT increased the proportion of cancer cells in the resting (G0/G1) phase of the cell cycle, limiting their ability to divide and proliferate.
Cell electrical properties altered:
BT reduced the electrical charge (membrane potential) across cancer cell membranes by roughly 35–50% in multiple cell lines, a change associated with reduced tumor aggressiveness.
Critical growth protein suppressed:
BT reduced levels of FOXM1, a key driver of cancer growth and metastasis. When FOXM1 was genetically removed, many of BT’s effects were diminished, suggesting it plays a central mechanistic role.
Spread to liver reduced (in vivo):
In mouse models, BT substantially reduced liver tumor burden (e.g., ~70–75% fewer metastatic nodules in some experiments).
Effects independent of human placebo effect: Because these experiments were conducted in cell cultures and animal models, the findings demonstrate measurable biological changes from BT independent of human placebo effects.

Design:

Study Type:
A series of controlled preclinical studies including repeated in vitro experiments in multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines (human and mouse), patient-derived organoids, and three independent mouse studies.
Intervention Groups:
Cancer cells and mice were assigned to:

Biofield Therapy (BT)
Sham Control (SC) (mimicked movements without treatment intent)
Incubator/Colony Control (untouched)

Treatment Protocol & Dosage:
Cell cultures received single 15- or 30-minute sessions.
Mice received 30-minute sessions, three times per week, for three weeks.
Biological Samples / Population:
Multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines, patient-derived organoids, and mouse models (typically ~16–30 mice per group depending on study).

Intervention: A biofield therapy technique (Bengston Method) in which trained practitioners rapidly cycle through mental images while holding their hands approximately 6 to 24 inches away from the target (cells or animals), without physical contact.

Results:

Overall Results:
Across multiple experiments and three different practitioners, BT significantly reduced proliferation and invasiveness of pancreatic cancer models in vitro, with consistent effects also observed in animal studies.
In Vitro Findings (Cell Culture):
BT suppressed growth across multiple pancreatic cancer cell lines and patient-derived mini-tumors while leaving normal pancreatic cells largely unaffected. It also induced cell cycle arrest and significantly reduced migration and invasion capacity.
In Vivo Findings (Mouse Studies):
Across three mouse studies, BT consistently reduced liver tumor burden and metastatic spread severity. In some measures, these effects were comparable to gemcitabine (particularly for metastasis-related outcomes), although BT did not significantly reduce primary tumor size.

Mechanistic Findings (How It May Work):

Mitochondria in BT-treated cancer cells appeared swollen and structurally disrupted
Cell membrane voltage was significantly reduced (hyperpolarization)
FOXM1, a key genetic regulator of cancer growth and metastasis, was downregulated
When FOXM1 was removed, many of BT’s anticancer effects were diminished

Discussion: Because these experiments were conducted in cell cultures and animal models, the findings demonstrate measurable biological changes independent of human placebo effects.

BT appears to influence cancer at a fundamental level, including cellular energy systems, electrical signaling, and gene regulation pathways (notably FOXM1), leading to reduced proliferation and invasiveness. These effects occur without direct physical interaction with the cells or tumors, supporting the hypothesis that biofield-based interactions may influence biological systems.

Conclusion: This study demonstrates that biofield therapy can disrupt pancreatic cancer cell behavior and reduce metastatic burden in preclinical models. While effects on primary tumor size were limited, the consistent impact on metastasis-related processes and underlying cellular mechanisms suggests BT may be a promising complementary approach worthy of further preclinical and clinical investigation.

Link to Article: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/cam4.71726

Phenomena Healing was created by the non-profit Merraki Media and the Subtle Energy Funders Collective to thoughtfully explore energy healing, using rigorous scientific inquiry, in an endeavor to help reduce suffering and promote wellbeing. "Merraki" is a Greek word that means “doing something purely for the love of it."

Contact