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

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.