title: Electric treatment of human melanoma skin lesions with low level direct electric current: an assessment of clinical experience following a preliminary study in five patients.
abstract: In this study we have investigated the effects of negative low level direct electric current electrotherapy (current: 1 milliampere; treatment time: 30 minutes) in metastatic or primary melanoma skin lesions. After 12 applications in five patients, tumour regression was observed in all evaluable melanoma skin lesions; four of them were classified as partial responses. This study shows that locally applied electrotherapy with a negative low level direct electric current is an effective treatment that results in reduction of tumour mass of human melanoma skin lesions, and it is possible that it has a positive influence on the course of the metastatically disseminated melanoma. No serious side effects were observed.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology, Faculty of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Plesnicar
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sersa
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Vodovnik
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Jancar
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zaletel-Kragelj
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Plesnicar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003131:Combined Modality Therapy; D004599:Electric Stimulation Therapy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000379:methods*; D004563:Electrochemistry; D004567:Electrodes, Implanted; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D008875:Middle Aged; D012074:Remission Induction; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome