Electrochemotherapy (Reversible Electroporation) for Cancer Treatment at Oncological Clinic Medias in Burghausen, Germany

Electrochemotherapy, also known as reversible electroporation, is a targeted cancer treatment that utilizes electrical pulses to increase the permeability of tumor cell membranes, allowing for more effective drug delivery. This technique involves the application of a controlled electrical voltage to the tumor cells, making their membranes temporarily porous. This process enables larger chemotherapeutic agents, such as bleomycin, to enter the tumor cells more efficiently, significantly enhancing the drugs' effectiveness. By using small doses of these drugs, the therapy minimizes the potential side effects typically associated with chemotherapy. The key advantage of electrochemotherapy is its localized application, which focuses the treatment on the tumor region, reducing the systemic exposure of the body to chemotherapeutic agents. The process works by inserting electrodes, which act as needles, into the tumor. The electrical voltage applied through these electrodes creates temporary pores in the membranes of the tumor cells. This "poration" lasts only for a few minutes, allowing chemotherapeutic drugs to infiltrate the tumor cells. After the treatment, the cell membranes close, minimizing the loss of the drugs and ensuring that the therapeutic agents remain inside the cells for maximum efficacy. For certain chemotherapeutic drugs, such as bleomycin and cisplatin, this technique can enhance their cytotoxic effects by up to 1000-fold and 80-fold, respectively. By increasing the concentration of the drugs within the tumor cells, electrochemotherapy allows for more targeted and efficient tumor destruction with smaller doses of the drugs, ultimately reducing the burden on the patient's system. Unlike irreversible electroporation, which uses higher electrical voltages to irreversibly damage the cells, reversible electroporation does not cause direct damage to the cells but rather facilitates the entry of chemotherapeutic agents. This makes it a valuable adjunct to chemotherapy, as it enhances the effectiveness of the drugs without causing additional harm to healthy tissues. The electrical pulses themselves do not damage the blood vessels, making electrochemotherapy a safe and effective localized treatment option for various tumors. The timing of the treatment in relation to drug administration is crucial; when chemotherapy drugs are administered intravenously, a minimum interval of 8 to 40 minutes is recommended between infusion and electrical pulse application. For intra-arterial infusions, the interval can be as short as one minute but should not exceed 40 minutes to ensure the effectiveness of the treatment. One of the significant advantages of electrochemotherapy is that it can be repeated if necessary, especially in cases where the initial treatment did not yield the desired results or if the tumor relapses. A minimum interval of three weeks between treatments is recommended to allow the body to recover and to evaluate the effectiveness of the therapy. This flexibility allows clinicians to adjust the treatment based on the patient's response, providing a personalized and adaptive approach to cancer therapy. Electrochemotherapy has been shown to be effective for a wide range of tumors, particularly those located on the skin, such as skin cancers and metastatic tumors. It has also been successfully used to treat tumors in more challenging areas, including breast carcinomas, head and neck cancers, pancreatic tumors, hepatocellular carcinomas, and liver metastases. The therapy's effectiveness in treating these tumors is largely attributed to its ability to deliver chemotherapeutic agents directly to the cancer cells, increasing the drugs' potency and enhancing tumor cell destruction. This therapy is suitable for patients over the age of 18 and is generally safe for individuals of all ages, as long as they meet the medical criteria for the treatment. However, for electrochemotherapy to be effective, the tumor needs to be accessible to the electrodes, either through the skin or after surgical removal. This ensures that the treatment can be localized to the tumor area, allowing for optimal drug delivery and increased therapeutic benefits. In conclusion, electrochemotherapy offers a promising approach to cancer treatment, especially for tumors that are difficult to treat with traditional methods. By combining the power of electrical pulses with the targeted delivery of chemotherapeutic agents, this therapy can significantly enhance the effectiveness of chemotherapy while minimizing systemic side effects. As a result, electrochemotherapy provides a valuable treatment option for patients with various types of cancer, offering hope for improved outcomes and quality of life.