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Aim: Electrochemotherapy is a local drug delivery approach aimed at treatment with palliative intent of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumour nodules of different histologies. Electrochemotherapy, via cell membrane permeabilising electric pulses, potentiates the cytotoxicity of nonpermeant or poorly permeant anticancer drugs with high intrinsic cytotoxicity, such as bleomycin or cisplatin, at the site of electric pulse application. Methods: An overview of preclinical and clinical studies is presented, and the treatment procedure is further critically evaluated. Results: In clinical studies electrochemotherapy has proved to be a highly efficient and safe approach for treating cutaneous and subcutaneous tumour nodules. The treatment response for various tumours (predominantly melanoma) was w75% complete and 10% partial response of the treated nodules. Conclusions: Electrochemotherapy is a new, clinically acknowledged method for the treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumours. Its advantages are high effectiveness on tumours with different histologies, simple application, minimal side effects and the possibility of effective repetitive treatment.

Effective treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous malignant tumours by electrochemotherapy LM Mir', LF Glass23, G Sersa4, J Teissi65, C Domenge6, D Miklavdid7, MJ Jaroszeski38, S Orlowski9, DS Reintgen38, Z Rudolf4, M Belehradek6, R Gilbertl0, M-P Rols5, J Belehradek Jr', JM Bachaud", R DeConti23, B Stabuc4, M Cemazar4, P Coninx'2 and R Heller38 The application of electric pulses to the patients was safe and well tolerated. An instantaneous contraction of the underlying muscles was noticed. Minimal adverse side-effects were observed. ECT was shown to be an effective local treatment. ECT was effective regardless of the histological type of the tumour. Therefore, ECT offers an approach to the treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumours in patients with minimal adverse side-effects and with a high response rate.

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