Electrochemotherapy – Emerging applications technical advances, new indications, combined approaches, and multi-institutional collaboration

Publication date: Available online 1 December 2018Source: European Journal of Surgical OncologyAuthor(s): Luca G. Campana, Ibrahim Edhemovic, Declan Soden, Anna M. Perrone, Marco Scarpa, Laura Campanacci, Maja Cemazar, Sara Valpione, Damijan Miklavčič, Simone Mocellin, Elisabetta Sieni, Gregor SersaAbstractThe treatment of tumors with electrochemotherapy (ECT) has surged over the past decade. Thanks to the transient cell membrane permeabilization induced by the short electric pulses used by ECT, cancer cells are exposed to otherwise poorly permeant chemotherapy agents, with consequent increased cytotoxicity. The codification of the procedure in 2006 led to a broad diffusion of the procedure, mainly in Europe, and since then, the progressive clinical experience, together with the emerging technologies, have extended the range of its application. Herein, we review the key advances in the ECT field since the European Standard Operating Procedures on ECT (ESOPE) 2006 guidelines and discuss the emerging clinical data on the new ECT indications. First, technical developments have improved ECT equipment, with custom electrode probes and dedicated tools supporting individual treatment planning in anatomically challenging tumors. Second, the feasibility and short-term efficacy of ECT has been established in deep-seated tumors, including bone metastases, liver malignancies, and pancreatic and prostate cancers (long-needle variable electrode geometry ECT), and gastrointestinal tumors ...
Source: European Journal of Surgical Oncology (EJSO) - Category: Surgery Source Type: research