EFFECTIVE TREATMENT OF CUTANEOUS AND SUBCUTANEOUS MALIGNANT-TUMORS BYELECTROCHEMOTHERAPY

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) enhances the effectiveness of chemotherapeut ic agents by administering the drug in combination with short intense electric pulses. ECT is effective because electric pulses permeabilize tumour cell membranes and allow non-permeant drugs, such as bleomycin , to enter the cells. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the ant i-tumour effectiveness of ECT with bleomycin on cutaneous and subcutan eous tumours. This article summarizes results obtained in independent clinical trials performed by five cancer centres, A total of 291 cutan eous or subcutaneous tumours of basal cell carcinoma (32), malignant m elanoma (142), adenocarcinoma (30) and head and neck squamous cell car cinoma (87) were treated in 50 patients. Short and intense electric pu lses were applied to tumours percutaneously after intravenous or intra tumour administration of bleomycin. The rumours were measured and the response to the treatment evaluated 30 days after the treatment. Objec tive responses were obtained in 233 (85.3%) of the 273 evaluable tumou rs that were treated with ECT. Clinical complete responses were achiev ed in 154 (56.4%) tumours, and partial responses were observed in 79 ( 28.9%) tumours. The application of electric pulses to the patients was safe and well tolerated. An instantaneous contraction of the underlyi ng muscles was noticed. Minimal adverse side-effects were observed. EC T was shown to be an effective local treatment. ECT was effective rega rdless of the histological type of the tumour, Therefore, ECT offers a n approach to the treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumours in p atients with minimal adverse side-effects and with a high response rat e.