CALCULATION OF THE ELECTRICAL PARAMETERS IN ELECTROCHEMOTHERAPY OF SOLID TUMORS IN MICE

Electrochemotherapy is a novel approach in chemotherapeutic drug deliv ery into tumours. Short intense direct current electric pulses are app lied to tumour tissue causing electropermeabilisation thus enabling en trance of chemotherapeutic drugs into cells which otherwise do not eas ily penetrate. A three dimensional anatomically based finite element m odel of the mouse with injected subcutaneous solid tumour was built. T he main goal of the study was to evaluate the influence of the electro de orientation on the distribution of electric field in the tumour and surrounding tissue during electrochemotherapy. Two electrode configur ations, previously examined in experimental study, were modelled. Elec tric field distributions were calculated for each configuration. The m ain conclusion of our study is that changing electrode orientation str ongly influences the distribution of the electric field inside the tum our in the electrochemotherapy of solid tumours in mice, which is in g ood agreement with the results of the experimental study. The efficacy of the electrochemotherapy depends on the magnitude of the electric f ield intensity inside tumour tissue. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. Al l rights reserved.