ELECTROCHEMICAL TREATMENT OF LUNG-CANCER

A pilot study of electrochemical treatment (ECT) as a therapy for 386 patients with nonsmall cell lune cancer was undertaken. There were 103 stage II cases, 89 stage IIIa cases, 122 stage IIIb cases, and 72 sta ge IV cases. Two ECT methods were used: For peripherally located lung cancer, platinum electrodes were inserted transcutaneously into the tu mor under x-ray or CT guidance. For central type lung cancer or for th ose inoperable during thoracotomy, electrodes were inserted intraopera tively directly into the cancer. Voltage was 6-8 V, current was 40-100 mA, and electric charge was 100 coulombs per cm of tumor diameter. Th e number of electrodes was determined from the size of cancer mass. be cause the diameter of effective area around each electrode is approxim ately 3 cm. The short-term (6 months after ECT) results of the 386 lun g cancer cases were: complete response (CR), 25.6% (99/386); partial r esponse (PR), 46.4% (179/386); no change (NC), 15.3% (59/386); and pro gressive disease (PD), 12.7% (49/386). The total effective rate (CR PR) was 72% (278/ 386). The 1, 3, and 5 year overall survival rates we re 86.3% (333/386), 58.8% (227/386), and 29.5% (114/386), respectively . The main complication was traumatic pneumothorax, with an incidence rate of 14.8% (57/386). These clinical results show that ECT is simple , safe, effective, and minimally traumatic. ECT provides an alternativ e method for treating lung cancers that are conventionally inoperable, that are not responsive to chemotherapy or radiotherapy, or that cann ot be resected after thoracotomy. Long-term survival rates suggest tha t ECT warrants further investigation. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc.