Electrochemotherapy with cisplatin of cutaneous tumor lesions in breast cancer

Abstract

We have evaluated the efficiency of electrochemotherapy with cisplatin on cutaneous tumor lesions of breast cancer and have compared its efficiency with the efficiency of intratumoral (i.t.) administration of cisplatin alone. The study was performed on six breast cancer patients with 26 cutaneous lesions in whom all standard treatment modalities were exhausted. Of 26 lesions, 12 were treated by electrochemotherapy, six by i.t. cisplatin application, while eight were controls. In all 12 lesions treated by electrochemotherapy and followed-up for up to 26 weeks at the most, the objective response was obtained [complete response in 33% with mean duration of 10 weeks and partial response (PR) in 67% with a mean duration of 5 weeks]. In six lesions treated with i.t. application of cisplatin and followed-up for up to 12 weeks at the most, objective response was obtained in 83% of lesions; none of these responses were complete, the mean duration of PR was 5 weeks. During electrochemotherapy, only minimal local side-effects were observed, whereas no systemic side-effects of the treatment were noticed. We conclude that electrochemotherapy with i.t. cisplatin application is effective in local treatment of cutaneous tumor lesions of breast cancer.

Electroporation-Enhanced Nonviral Gene Transfer for the Prevention or Treatment of Immunological, Endocrine and Neoplastic Diseases

“…Electrochemotherapy, or enhanced delivery of chemotherapeutic drugs, especially bleomycin, and more recently cisplatin [Rebersek, M. et al, 2004], to accessible solid tumors has been used successfully for many years . Clinical trials using this method for the treatment of solid tumors have been and are being conducted in humans [Belehradek, M. et al, 1993;Heller, R. et al, 1996;Mir, L.M.…”

99mTc-DTPA Uptake and Electrical Impedance Measurements in Verification ofIn VivoElectropermeabilization Efficiency in Rat Muscle

“…27,28 Electrochemotherapy with cisplatin of cutaneous tumor lesions in breast cancer, however, resulted in no complete responses. 29 In the last few years, a number of experimental gene therapy studies have achieved efficient gene transfer to tissue after in vivo electropermeabilization, using lacZ, luciferase, and green fluorescent protein (GFP) genes. [30][31][32][33][34][35][36][37][38] Gene transfer in epidermis has been demonstrated using in vivo electropermeabilization with electric pulses of low voltage (12-24 V) and long pulse length (50 ms).…”

A new grid electrode for electrochemotherapy treatment of large skin tumors

“…The value of ECT for cancer patients is represented by the achievement of superficial tumor control and hence of an effective palliation of diseases-related complaints such as bleeding, pain, etc. Incipient clinical experience with ECT in patients with BC is encouraging, with a complete local response rates on the individual skin metastases ranging from 50 to 90% [16][17][18][19][20][21][22][23]. Recently, ECT has shown sustained activity also in patients who were refractory to conventional oncological treatments according to a clinical phase II study conducted at our institute [24].…”