ELECTROPORATION THERAPY OF HEAD AND NECK-CANCER

The purpose of this paper is to introduce the concept of electroporati on therapy and present our results from using this new technique combi ned with intralesional bleomycin in head and neck cancer patients. Ele ctroporation therapy is a technique wherein high-voltage electric impu lses delivered into a neoplasm transiently increase cell membrane perm eability to large molecules, including cytotoxic agents. In this phase I/II study, extremely low-dose bleomycin sulfate was electroporated i nto head and neck malignant neoplasms in 10 patients. Tumor responses included 2 nonresponders, 3 partial responders, and 5 complete respond ers, with a mean follow-up of 40 weeks. We conclude that this techniqu e offers promising possibilities in the local treatment of head and ne ck cancer.