Immediate results
 of electrochemotherapy for malignant
 tumors of the skin and soft tissues,
 cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases
 of melanoma

Abstract

Relevance: Surgical removal of locally advanced forms of
 skin cancer and multiple cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases of melanoma does not always provide satisfactory aesthetic,
 functional, and long-term results. The treatment outcomes depend on the size, shape, location, and some other characteristics
 of the tumor. The relapse rate after surgical removal of locally
 advanced skin cancer is 12.5-34%, and the long-term survival of
 patients with cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases of melanoma does not exceed 30%. Cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases of melanoma and some superficial tumors are usually
 initially inoperable. Their complications such as bleeding, infection, pain, and pitting cause serious clinical problems and often
 require local therapy even at the 4th stage of the disease.
 Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is one of the modern treatment
 methods for skin cancer, soft tissue sarcoma, and metastatic melanoma. ECT is a treatment of choice in the presence of
 contraindications to surgical and radiation therapy. ECT combines the physical properties of current-induced electroporation with the chemical properties of chemotherapeutic drugs.
 In this method, an electric current affecting the tissue causes
 a temporary increase in cell membrane permeability, thereby
 providing free access to the cell of large molecules, including
 cytostatics, which are not initially transferred to the cytosol.
 This significantly increases the potential toxicity of cytostatics.
 The purpose of this study was to demonstrate the immediate results of ECT in patients with malignant tumors of the
 skin, soft tissue, cutaneous, and subcutaneous melanoma metastases.
 Results: Since 2017, 27 patients were treated by ECT at
 the Centre for bone and soft tissue tumors and melanomas
 of Kazakh Institute of Oncology and Radiology (Almaty, Kazakhstan). After two months, 67% of patients had a complete
 response (CR), 26% – a partial response (PR), and 7% had progression of the tumor. Side effects included local edema (n=13,
 40%) which independently disappeared within several days
 to 2 weeks, local pains (12%) which disappeared within six
 months after treatment in 3% and within a month in 11% of
 patients, and hyperthermia in the early postoperative period in
 6% of patients which was stopped within 10-15 min after the
 procedure