Long-term follow-up in patients treated with electrochemotherapy for non-melanoma skin cancer in the head and neck area

Abstract

Background: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a cancer treatment modality where the intracellular accumulation of chemotherapeutic agents is enhanced by an applied electrical field.Aims/Objectives: To evaluate the long-term efficacy, safety and functional outcome after ECT treatment in high-risk non-melanoma skin cancer (NMSC) with curative intent.Materials and methods: Seven patients with SCC or BCC in the head and neck area were treated with ECT with intratumoral bleomycin administration.Results: Five patients were cured by ECT as a mono-modality treatment after a median 10-year follow-up period. Two patients had recurrences and/or persisting tumors after treatment that required salvage surgery and radiotherapy. In two patients, the eye was spared with no visual impairment. In another patient, full facial nerve function was spared.Conclusions: ECT can be a curative as well as an organ and function-sparing mono modality treatment in high-risk NMSC.Significance: Today ECT is mostly used as a palliative treatment. Its curative potential should be further investigated. Randomized studies comparing ECT with standard treatment is needed. Hopefully, this small study can encourage such studies.