Electrochemotherapy
Brief electric pulses applied to a tumour open pores in cell membranes so that a tiny dose of bleomycin or cisplatin floods in; used for skin metastases and, increasingly, for deep tumours.
Electroporation with 8 pulses of ~1000 V/cm makes cells transiently permeable, increasing bleomycin cytotoxicity several-hundred-fold and cisplatin ~80-fold. The ESOPE study (2006) standardised the procedure; the InspECT registry reports ~60% complete and ~85% overall response in cutaneous metastases of melanoma, breast cancer, Kaposi sarcoma and squamous carcinoma, with NICE guidance supporting use for skin metastases (2013). Endoscopic and needle-electrode systems extend it to liver metastases, pancreatic cancer, bone and head and neck tumours; calcium electroporation is a drug-free variant; combination with immunotherapy (abscopal effects) is being tested. Widely available in Europe, little used in the US (no FDA-cleared device).
How it works
Reversible electroporation increases membrane permeability to poorly permeant cytotoxics (bleomycin, cisplatin), producing localised cell death with systemic doses far below chemotherapeutic ranges; also causes vascular lock and immunogenic cell death.
- High local response with minimal systemic toxicity
- Single or few sessions; day case under local/general anaesthesia
- Works regardless of tumour histology
- Local treatment only
- Requires electrodes to reach tumour (depth limits)
- No US device approval; limited randomised evidence
Latest papers
topQuery for this technology: (TITLE:"Electrochemotherapy" OR ABSTRACT:"Electrochemotherapy") AND (cancer OR tumor OR tumour OR oncology OR carcinoma OR lymphoma OR leukemia OR leukaemia OR myeloma OR sarcoma OR melanoma OR glioma). Results are unfiltered search hits about Electrochemotherapy, not a curated reading list.
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