At its initial appearance a tumour is usually surgically removed. It may subsequently reoccur on the skin (recurrence or metastasis) or on other areas of the body.
Skin (cutaneous metastases) and visceral tumours can be effectively treated with electrochemotherapy.
Electrochemotherapy is effective, generally well tolerated and can be performed after other treatments.
What is electrochemotherapy?
Electrochemotherapy is a treatment combining a low dose of a chemotherapy drug and an electrical pulse (electroporation) applied directly to the cancer cells using an electrode.
This low level dose of chemotherapy drug is not normally effective against the cancer as it is difficult to get inside the cells. However, when the electric pulse is applied the cells form pores allowing the drug to enter and be active against the cancer.
Basic concept of electrochemotherapy: (A) after injection drug surrounds the cells; (B) pore formation on the cell membrane after pulse delivery, drug enters the cells (C); membrane resealing, drug entrapped inside the cells (D) drug causes irreversible damage to cancer cells that die from mitosis.
Electrochemotherapy is effective, generally well tolerated and can be performed after other treatments.
Electrochemotherapy reduces symptoms and improves quality of life for appropriately selected patients. As the chemotherapy drug is most active against the cancer cells the normal tissue is unaffected.
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