Electrochemotherapy, a new therapy for patients with skin cancer in Latin America: literature review

Abstract

Electrochemotherapy is an innovative technology used to treat skin and mucosal cancers. It consists of intravenous administration of bleomycin followed by the application of electroporation pulses to the tumor at its margins. These pulses induce the formation of pores in the cell membrane, increasing the cytotoxic efficacy of bleomycin by more than 1,000- fold. As electroporation is a physical phenomenon, different types of tumors can be treated regardless of their histology. Generally, only one treatment session is needed to obtain a satisfactory response. Electrochemotherapy is a good option for recurrent tumors in which other therapies do not provide a response. Additionally, tumors can be shrunk with therapy, allowing for less aggressive surgeries and improving outcomes. Many treatment guidelines have begun to include the use of this non-ablative technique as a new treatment option when other therapies have failed or been rejected by the patient. Treatment is carried out on an outpatient basis with high response rates and few side effects.

Keywords

• cancer
• dermatology
• electroporation
• surgery
• palliative