Electrochemotherapy in treatment of tumours.
OBJECTIVE
Electrochemotherapy is a local drug delivery approach aimed at treatment with palliative intent of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumour nodules of different histologies. Electrochemotherapy, via cell membrane permeabilising electric pulses, potentiates the cytotoxicity of non-permeant or poorly permeant anticancer drugs with high intrinsic cytotoxicity, such as bleomycin or cisplatin, at the site of electric pulse application.


METHODS
An overview of preclinical and clinical studies is presented, and the treatment procedure is further critically evaluated.


RESULTS
In clinical studies electrochemotherapy has proved to be a highly efficient and safe approach for treating cutaneous and subcutaneous tumour nodules. The treatment response for various tumours (predominantly melanoma) was approximately 75% complete and 10% partial response of the treated nodules.


CONCLUSIONS
Electrochemotherapy is a new, clinically acknowledged method for the treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumours. Its advantages are high effectiveness on tumours with different histologies, simple application, minimal side effects and the possibility of effective repetitive treatment.
Sersa
G
G
Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia.
Miklavcic
D
D
Cemazar
M
M
Rudolf
Z
Z
Pucihar
G
G
Snoj
M
M
D000818:Animals; D000971:Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002415:Cats; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D053672:Electrochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D011817:Rabbits; D016032:Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic; D051381:Rats; D018570:Risk Assessment; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D016896:Treatment Outcome