Electrochemotherapy for cutaneous and subcutaneous tumor lesions: a novel therapeutic approach.
Electroporation uses pulsed, high-intensity electric fields to temporarily increase cell membrane permeability by creation of pores, through which small molecules, such as chemotherapeutic agents, can diffuse inside cells before they reseal. The combination of electroporation with the administration of otherwise low-permeant cytotoxic drugs is known as electrochemotherapy (ECT). The two most commonly used drugs are bleomycin and cisplatin. ECT has already been proven to be effective in diverse tumor histotypes, including melanoma and basal and squamous cell carcinoma, Kaposi sarcoma, and breast cancer, also in those cases nonresponding to classical chemotherapies or other loco-regional treatment modalities, with a good safety profile. ECT can be proposed as loco-regional therapy for disseminated cutaneous and subcutaneous tumor lesions as alternative treatment modality to conventional therapies or as palliative care, in order to improve patients' quality of life.
Melanoma and Muscle-Cutaneous Sarcoma Division, European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. alessandro.testori@ieo.it
Alessandro
A
Testori
Giulio
G
Tosti
Chiara
C
Martinoli
Giuseppe
G
Spadola
Francesco
F
Cataldo
Francesco
F
Verrecchia
Federica
F
Baldini
Massimo
M
Mosconi
Javier
J
Soteldo
Ines
I
Tedeschi
Claudia
C
Passoni
Chiara
C
Pari
Alessandra
A
Di Pietro
Pier Francesco
PF
Ferrucci
D000818:Animals; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053672:Electrochemotherapy; D006801:Humans; D012867:Skin / Q000473:pathology; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology / Q000556:secondary; D016896:Treatment Outcome
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001761:Bleomycin; D002945:Cisplatin