Abstract
Feline squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is currently treated with surgery, radiation therapy and electrochemotherapy (ECT). Both the efficacy and/or safety of ECT were evaluated as a sole therapy with bleomycin to treat feline nasal planum SCC (npSCC). Sixty-one cats were enrolled. Local treatment response was evaluated as complete remission (CR), partial remission (PR) or stable disease (SD). Recurrence rate (RR), disease-free interval (DFI) and progression free survival (PFS) were calculated. A six-point scale was used for ECT toxicity. The median tumor size was 1.5 cm. CR was achieved in 65.6% of cases, PR in 31.1% and SD in 3.3%. The overall response rate was 96.7%, RR was 22.5%, median DFI was 136 days, and median PFS was 65.5 days. ECT toxicity was ≤2 in 51% of cats. Tumor recurrence/progression (p = 0.014) and local treatment response (PR: p < 0.001; SD: p < 0.001) influenced survival time. Cats with toxicity >2 showed a higher probability of tumor recurrence/progression. Tumor-related death was higher in cats with PR (p < 0.001) and recurrence/progression (p = 0.002), in ECT treatment with 1 Hz (p = 0.035) and 1200 V/cm (p = 0.011) or 1300 V/cm (p = 0.016). Tumor size influenced local treatment response (p = 0.008) and toxicity (p < 0.001). ECT is an effective treatment for feline npSCCs and should be considered as the first-line procedure for low-stage tumors.
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