Thermodynamic approach to the analysis of cancer: temperature and external fields

Aim The exergy gradients are the sources of physical processes. Entropy quantifies the system's evolution toward increasingly more probable states, while entropy generation describes its irreversibility. The entropy generation approach is used to evaluate cells transport processes. The applied thermodynamic analysis of living systems points out that the geometrical characteristic, the chemical reaction rate and the time of chemical reactions are fundamental in the growth of cancer. Indeed, it has been highlighted that a cancer cell can modify its metabolism, so it is possible to measure the cell temperature variation with respect to peculiar ill states (1-3); indeed, the cellular metabolism can be studied by the analysis of the reactions of oxidation of the energy substrates. Materials and methods Energy transport phenomena occurs across the cell membrane, so this plays a fundamental role in the cell behaviour. Moreover, many processes in biological systems are related to nano-mechanical properties of cellular structures and membranes, therefore it is possible to argue that any external fields, which can act on the membrane electric and thermoelastic properties, could be worth to be investigated in relation to anticancer therapies. Results The cell membrane elastic vibration is one fundamental aspect of the cells elastic behaviour, and both phenomena are closely linked: the membrane elastic vibration originates variation in the membrane electric potentials, energy transport throughout the cell membrane could heavily be affected and, consequently, the internal cell organization could be influenced. Conclusions Magnetic field seems to play a strong influence on cells elastic behaviour and then on the energy transport throughout cell membranes. Metabolism of cancer cells is organized in order to export outside great amount of energy.