P054: Electrochemotherapy in the treatment

Published Date: 21st February 2017

Publication Authors: Liew S, Pritchard-Jones R

Aims 

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is an effective local treatment for cutaneous metastasis. Treatment involves the administration of chemotherapeutic drugs followed by delivery of electrical pulses to the tumour. The aim of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of ECT in cutaneous metastases of melanoma and to identify factors which affect (beneficially or adversely) the outcome.

Methods

13 cancer centres in the International Network for Sharing Practices on Electrochemotherapy (INSPECT) consecutively and prospectively uploaded data to a common database. Electrochemotherapy consisted of intratumoural or intravenous injection of bleomycin, followed by application of electric pulses under local or general anaesthesia.

Results

151 patients with metastatic melanoma were identified from the database, 114 of which had follow-up data of 60 days or more. These 114 patients with 394 treated lesions had an overall response of 77%. No serious adverse events were reported, and the treatment was in general very well tolerated. In multivariate analysis, factors positively associated with response to treatment included coverage of deep tumour margin, presence of lymphedema, treatment of non-irradiated areas, and absence of visceral metastases.

Conclusion

ECT is a highly effective local treatment for melanoma metastases in the skin, with no severe adverse effects. In the presence of certain clinical factors, ECT may be considered instead of systemic treatments, until the disease progresses.

Kunte, C; Liew, SH; Pritchard Jones, R et al. (2016). P054: Electrochemotherapy in the treatment of metastatic malignant melanoma: results from the InspECT registry . Melanoma Research. 26 (e-Suppl 1), e37-e38

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