title: Electrochemotherapy in non-melanoma head and neck cancers: a retrospective analysis of the treated cases.
abstract: Electrochemotherapy increases the permeability of tumours to drugs by electric voltages applied locally. Its value in tumours of the head and neck is unknown. We retrospectively reviewed a 2-centre database, and found 39 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the oral cavity or oropharynx (n=12) or non-melanoma skin tumours (n=27) who had been treated with bleomycin electrochemotherapy with needle electrodes. A further 3 patients were given cisplatin electrochemotherapy (n=2), or bleomycin electrochemotherapy by plate electrodes (n=1). Local toxicity was mild. The complete response rate was 38% and was associated with whether the tumour was primary or recurrent (p<0.001), its size (p=0.02), and the route by which the drug was given (p=0.02). We did not study enough patients with basal cell carcinomas to say whether the response was significantly better or not (p=0.07). Skin tumours and SCC of the oral cavity or oropharynx showed comparable complete responses (41% and 33%, p=0.73) and local control (1-year local progression-free survival, 51% compared with 59%, p=0.89), particularly if they were small (p=0.001), primary (p=0.002), chemonaive (p=0.03). Patients treated with cisplatin were unresponsive. Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin is an effective option for skin tumours of the head and neck and is a feasible alternative in highly selected (small, primary, and not previously treated by chemotherapy) SCC of the oral cavity and oropharynx.
authors.affiliation: Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRCCS), Padova, Italy. Electronic address: maximizing@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Luca Giovanni
authors.initials: LG
authors.lastname: Campana
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Slovenia. Electronic address: barbara.mali@fe.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Barbara
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Mali
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: GSersa@onko-i.si.
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sersa
authors.affiliation: Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRCCS), Padova, Italy. Electronic address: beijish@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Sara
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Valpione
authors.affiliation: Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRCCS), Padova, Italy. Electronic address: carloalbe.giorgi@yahoo.it.
authors.forename: Carlo A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Giorgi
authors.affiliation: Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Slovenia. Electronic address: pstrojan@onko-i.si.
authors.forename: Primoz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strojan
authors.affiliation: University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Slovenia. Electronic address: damijan.miklavcic@fe.uni-lj.si.
authors.forename: Damijan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miklavcic
authors.affiliation: Sarcoma and Melanoma Unit, Veneto Institute of Oncology (IOV-IRCCS), Padova, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Rossi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic / Q000008:administration & dosage; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D001761:Bleomycin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D002294:Carcinoma, Squamous Cell / Q000188:drug therapy; D002945:Cisplatin / Q000008:administration & dosage; D053672:Electrochemotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D005153:Facial Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy*; D006801:Humans; D007262:Infusions, Intravenous; D015552:Injections, Intralesional; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009062:Mouth Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D009364:Neoplasm Recurrence, Local / Q000188:drug therapy; D009959:Oropharyngeal Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D012074:Remission Induction; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012449:Safety; D012878:Skin Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy; D015996:Survival Rate; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000903:Antibiotics, Antineoplastic; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001761:Bleomycin; D002945:Cisplatin