OVERVIEW OF CLINICAL APPLICATIONS IN CUTANEOUS TUMORS
Marko Snoj
Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska cesta 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia E-mail: msnoj@onko-i.si
Cutaneous metastases are fairly frequent manifestation of advanced malignant disease, comprising about 0.7-9% of all cancer patients. The cutaneous metastases may present itself as a isolated disesase or may present itself as a part of multiple organ spread. Treatment of cutaneous metastases could reduce or eliminate symptoms and improve quality of life. There are various sorts of local therapies and among them electrochemotherapy is gaining in importance. The first clinical report of electrochemotherapy for cutaneous metastases came in 1991 which reported good clinical results in treatment of head and neck tumors. The cumulative results of all studies till 2006 established that there has been 642 cutanoeus melanoma metastases treated with a complete response of 67% and an objective
repsonse of 85%. The results of the first multicentic study were published the same year showing that an objective response in 85% of treated metastases , regardless of tumor histology, drug used or route of drug administration. With this multicenter study the Standard Operating Procedures for electrochemotherapy were established. Today electrochemotherapy is a feasible and desirable treatment option for cutaneous metastases of different malignant histologies. It is more effective in cutaneous metastases smaller than 3 cm. The side effects and adverse events of electrochemotherapy are minimal, with pain being the most frequent. Its advantages over other local treatments are that it can be used in heavily pretreated patients, may be repeated several times and usualy does not produce the ulceration of treated lesion.
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