title: Electrochemotherapy in cancer patients: first clinical trial in Greece.
abstract: Electrochemotherapy is currently undergoing intensive investigation in the field of local control of cancer. In Greece, five medical centers have co-operated to perform ECT for the efficient management of growing, recurrent or newly emerging cutaneous and subcutaneous tumor nodules. ECT was applied alone or in combination with external beam radiation therapy, brachytherapy and surgery in 52 cancer patients, using bleomycin according to standard protocols. The treatment response for various tumors was 63.83% complete, 31.91% partial, and 95.74% overall of the treated nodules. Patients exerted neither systemic nor local side-effects. The results of ECT performance in Greece provided evidence that this new treatment strategy is safe and permits the effective control of tumors of various origins and histological types.
authors.affiliation: First Department of Radiation Oncology, St. Savvas Anticancer Hospital of Athens, 171 Alexandras Ave., 11522, Athens, Greece. skarl@ath.forthnet.gr
authors.forename: Ioannis
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Skarlatos
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kyrgias
authors.forename: Eytyxia
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Mosa
authors.forename: Xeni
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Provatopoulou
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Spyrou
authors.forename: Kyriaki
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Theodorou
authors.forename: Antonios
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Lepouras
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gounaris
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Koukourakis
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D053672:Electrochemotherapy / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006115:Greece; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D001761:Bleomycin