Electrochemotherapy in vulvar cancer: A systematic review

Abstract

There are some problems about the optimal treatment modality of vulvar cancer (VC): unfeasible surgery in elderly women with several comorbidities and the absence of treatments applicable in recurrent disease. For these reasons, Electrochemotherapy (ECT) may have an important role in the management of these patients. The aim of this systematic review is to evaluate ECT in VC in terms of clinical response, adverse events and quality of life (QoL). We conducted a search on the electronic database PubMed/MED-LINE. All the studies in English language published from 2006 and August 2019 were considered eligible. The 4 studies included in the systematic review reported an overall objective response rate (complete and partial response) was 74.3%. No treatment-related serious adverse events were reported in any of the studies. An improvement in the QoL was reported. In conclusion, ECT is an easy, quick to perform, less invasive and repeatable procedure, which have shown a positive clinical response, a reduction in symptoms and an improvement in QoL. Since the survival for advanced and metastatic diseases has been, fortunately, increased, it is also important to focus our efforts on the QoL and on the local control of the disease.