Electrochemotherapy of Small Tumors; The Experience from the ESOPE (European Standard Operating Procedures for Electrochemotherapy) Group

Abstract

Electrochemotherapy, utilizing bleomycin and cisplatin as chemotherapeutic drugs along with electric pulses locally delivered to the treated tumors, plays an important role in the local control of cancers. The treatment is easy to perform, on an outpatient basis, for the treatment of skin melanoma, breast cancer, or other tumor skin metastases. An objective response rate of 80% or more is reported on the treated nodules, mostly with a long-lasting response. The treatment procedure is fully described in the published European Standard Operating Procedures for elec- trochemotherapy study. Currently, electrochemotherapy is used as a treatment that improves the quality of life for patients with progressive disease. Furthermore, it is ideally suited to the treatment of tumors refractory to conventional treatments like radiotherapy or surgery, or those that cannot be surgically excised due to their number and location. In addition, it can be effectively employed as a cytoreductive treatment before surgical resection in an organ-sparing procedure as well as in the treatment of bleeding skin metastases. Keywords