Electrochemotherapy for the management of cutaneous and subcutaneous metastasis: a series of 39 patients treated with palliative intent.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is technique for local control of skin metastasis. This study is primarily aimed at assessing the clinical activity of ECT in a prospective cohort of patients, and evaluating the association between primary tumor histology, number of metastatic lesions and size of tumor deposits and objective response rate.

METHODS AND RESULTS

Thirty-nine patients with skin metastases from melanoma and other tumors underwent intravenous bleomycin ECT with palliative intent. No serious adverse events (SAE) or CTC grade 3 or 4 were observed. Overall response rate (ORR) was 66.6%. Response rate significantly correlated at univariate analysis both with the number (< or >10) and the size (< or >2 cm) of metastases. No relationship was observed for the histology of primary tumor. At multivariate analysis the size of the nodules under 2 cm was associated with a positive response and the correlation was statistically significant.

CONCLUSIONS

ORR was 66.6% and all patients obtained a subjective clinical benefit from the treatment with minimal side effects. The most suitable patients were the ones with nodules <2 cm.