Probe for treating a tumor or the like

A probe for treatment of a section of living tissue by selectively destroying dividing cells of a target section of tissue, the dividing cells having polarizable or polar intracellular members, the probe comprising:

• a probe body for insertion into a body;
• at least two electrodes disposed at an outer surface of the probe body, wherein each of the electrodes includes a conductor disposed beneath an insulating outer layer;
• and
• an electric field source for applying an alternating electric potential across the conductors of the at least two insulated electrodes, wherein the alternating electric potential and the electrodes are configured to operate together to impose, in the target section, an electric field with frequency and amplitude characteristics such that application of the electric field to the target section encourages the destruction of dividing cells located in the target section but leaves non-dividing cells located in the target section unharmed, and wherein the destruction of dividing cells is accomplished by disrupting cleavage furrows of the dividing cells during the cell division process, wherein the electric field that is applied to the target section has a field strength between 0.1 and 10 V/cm.