title: Coupling treatment planning with navigation system: a new technological approach in treatment of head and neck tumors by electrochemotherapy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Electrochemotherapy provides highly effective local treatment for a variety of tumors. In deep-seated tumors of the head and neck, due to complex anatomy of the region or inability to cover the whole tumor with standard electrodes, the use of long single needle electrodes is mandatory. In such cases, a treatment plan provides the information on the optimal configuration of the electrodes to adequately cover the tumor with electric field, while the accurate placement of the electrodes in the surgical room in patients can remain a problem. Therefore, during electrochemotherapy of two head and neck lymph-node metastases of squamous cell carcinoma origin, a navigation system for placement of electrodes was used.
  
  
  METHODS
  Electrochemotherapy of two lymph-node metastases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma, one in the left parotid gland and the other in the neck just behind the left mandibular angle, was performed using intravenous administration of bleomycin and long single needle electrodes. The tumors were treated according to the prepared treatment plan, and executed with the use of navigation system.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Coupling of treatment plan with the navigation system aided to an accurate placement of the electrodes. The navigation system helped the surgeon to identify the exact location of the tumors, and helped with the positioning of the long needle electrodes during their insertion, according to treatment plan. Five electrodes were inserted for each metastasis, one centrally in the tumor and four in the periphery of the tumor. Five weeks after electrochemotherapy, computed tomography images demonstrated partial response of the first metastasis and complete response of the second one. Six weeks after electrochemotherapy, fine-needle aspiration biopsy specimen obtained from the treated lesions revealed necrosis and inflammatory cells, without any viable tumor cells.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We describe a new technological approach for electrochemotherapy of deep-seated head and neck tumors, coupling of the treatment planning with navigation system for accurate placement of the single long needle electrodes into and around the tumors, according to the treatment plan. Evidence of its effectiveness on two lymph-node metastases of cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma origin in neck lymph is provided.
authors.forename: Ales
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Groselj
authors.forename: Bor
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Kos
authors.forename: Maja
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Cemazar
authors.forename: Jure
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Urbancic
authors.forename: Grega
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Kragelj
authors.forename: Masa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bosnjak
authors.forename: Biserka
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Veberic
authors.forename: Primoz
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Strojan
authors.forename: Damijan
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Miklavcic
authors.forename: Gregor
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Sersa
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D053672:Electrochemotherapy / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods*; D004566:Electrodes; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006258:Head and Neck Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008207:Lymphatic Metastasis; D008297:Male; D009339:Needles; D016896:Treatment Outcome