Electroporation therapy for T1 and T2 oral tongue cancer

Abstract

Conclusion: Electroporation therapy appears to be a safe treatment achieving excellent local tumor control and very good functional results in our study and it should be further clinically evaluated. Objectives: The objectives of this study were to assess local tumor control, survival, and effects on speech and eating after treatment of tongue cancer with electroporation therapy, a new local therapeutic modality. In this approach intracellular accumulation of a chemotherapeutic agent is achieved by using a locally applied electrical field. Methods: Fifteen patients with primary T1 and T2 oral tongue cancer were treated with electroporation therapy with intratumorally administered bleomycin. Postoperative radiotherapy was performed when the tumor infiltration was 5 mm or more. The follow-up time was 24 months for the surviving patients and 20.4 months overall. The effects on eating and speech were assessed using the PSS-HN scale and voice recordings. Results: No local recurrence was recorded in any patient during the follow-up. Three patients died, two from progressive regional disease. Of the 12 surviving patients, 2 patients had regional recurrence and 10 patients including the 5 patients treated with EPT alone were tumor-free both locally and regionally at the last follow-up. The functional outcome for speech and eating were very good.

Keywords::

• Electrochemotherapy
• bleomycin
• local control
• survival
• speech

Acknowledgments

This study was supported by Örebro County Council.

Declaration of interest: The study was designed and sponsored by Genetronics Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Inovio Biomedical Corporation, San Diego, CA, USA. Genetronics, Inc. provided financial support for this study and paid Dr L. Löfgren an honorarium for work at investigator meetings.