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Vivod G, Omerzel M, Kovacevic N, Gasljevic G, Cilensek I, Sersa G, Cemazar M, Merlo S. Treatment of vulvar cancer recurrence with electrochemotherapy: a case-control study. Acta Oncol 2024; 63:351-357. [PMID: 38770722 DOI: 10.2340/1651-226x.2024.33241] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/07/2023] [Accepted: 04/05/2024] [Indexed: 05/22/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a combined treatment method based on electroporation and simultaneous chemotherapy. In cases where radiotherapy has previously been used, surgery is often the only treatment option for vulvar cancer recurrence with potential resection of clitoris, vagina, urethra or anal sphincter. The unique advantage of ECT is its selectivity for cancer cells while sparing the surrounding healthy tissue. The aim of the study was to compare the ECT treatment of vulvar cancer recurrence for non-palliative purposes with surgical treatment. MATERIALS AND METHODS Eleven patients with single vulvar cancer recurrence were treated with ECT and followed up for 12 months. As a control group, 15 patients with single vulvar cancer recurrence were treated with wide local excision. The following data were collected, analyzed and compared: Age, body mass index, comorbidities, histological type, location and size of vulvar cancer recurrence, treatment history, details of procedures and hospital stay. RESULTS The probability curves for local tumor control did not differ between the ECT group and the surgical group (p = 0.694). The mean hospital stay and the mean duration of procedure were statistically significantly shorter in the ECT group (p < 0.001). There were no statistically significant differences between the ECT and surgical groups in terms of mean body mass index, associated diseases, previous treatments, presence of lichen sclerosus, p16 status, gradus, anatomical site of the tumor, and type of anesthesia. CONCLUSION In this case-control study, treatment of vulvar cancer recurrence with ECT for non-palliative purposes was comparable to surgical treatment in terms of effectiveness. The results need to be confirmed in larger randomized trials.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregor Vivod
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Masa Omerzel
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Nina Kovacevic
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gorana Gasljevic
- Department of Pathology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, Maribor, Slovenia
| | - Ines Cilensek
- Institute of Histology and Embryology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Sersa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; University of Ljubljana, Faculty of Health Sciences, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Cemazar
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia
| | - Sebastjan Merlo
- Department of Gynecological Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia.
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Hadzialjevic B, Omerzel M, Trotovsek B, Cemazar M, Jesenko T, Sersa G, Djokic M. Electrochemotherapy combined with immunotherapy - a promising potential in the treatment of cancer. Front Immunol 2024; 14:1336866. [PMID: 38292489 PMCID: PMC10825954 DOI: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1336866] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 12/29/2023] [Indexed: 02/01/2024] Open
Abstract
Electrochemotherapy is a novel, locoregional therapy that is used to treat cutaneous and deep-seated tumors. The electric pulses used in electrochemotherapy increase the permeability of the cell membranes of the target lesion and thus enhance the delivery of low-permeant cytotoxic drugs to the cells, leading to their death. It has also been postulated that electrochemotherapy acts as an in situ vaccination by inducing immunogenic cell death. This in turn leads to an enhanced systemic antitumor response, which could be further exploited by immunotherapy. However, only a few clinical studies have investigated the role of combined treatment in patients with melanoma, breast cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, and cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma. In this review, we therefore aim to review the published preclinical evidence on combined treatment and to review clinical studies that have investigated the combined role of electrochemotherapy and immunotherapy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin Hadzialjevic
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Masa Omerzel
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Blaz Trotovsek
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Cemazar
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Izola, Slovenia
| | - Tanja Jesenko
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Gregor Sersa
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Mihajlo Djokic
- Department of Abdominal Surgery, University Medical Center Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Ljubljana, Ljubljana, Slovenia
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Martin CH, Martin RCG. Optimal Dosing and Patient Selection for Electrochemotherapy in Solid Abdominal Organ and Bone Tumors. Bioengineering (Basel) 2023; 10:975. [PMID: 37627860 PMCID: PMC10451240 DOI: 10.3390/bioengineering10080975] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/10/2023] [Revised: 08/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/16/2023] [Indexed: 08/27/2023] Open
Abstract
The primary aim of this study was to analyze studies that use electrochemotherapy (ECT) in "deep-seated" tumors in solid organs (liver, kidney, bone metastasis, pancreas, and abdomen) and understand the similarities between patient selection, oncologic selection, and use of new procedures and technology across the organ systems to assess response rates. A literature search was conducted using the term "Electrochemotherapy" in the title field using publications from 2017 to 2023. After factoring in inclusion and exclusion criteria, 29 studies were analyzed and graded based on quality in full. The authors determined key patient and oncologic selection characteristics and ECT technology employed across organ systems that yielded overall responses, complete responses, and partial responses of the treated tumor. It was determined that key selection factors included: the ability to be administered bleomycin, life expectancy greater than three months, unrespectability of the lesion being treated, and a later stage, more advanced cancer. Regarding oncologic selection, all patient cohorts had received chemotherapy or surgery previously but had disease recurrence, making ECT the only option for further treatment. Lastly, in terms of the use of technology, the authors found that studies with better response rates used the ClinporatorTM and updated procedural guidelines by SOP. Thus, by considering patient, oncologic, and technology selection, ECT can be further improved in treating lesions in solid organs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Robert C. G. Martin
- Division of Surgical Oncology, Department of Surgery, University of Louisville School of Medicine, Louisville, KY 40202, USA
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Jesenko T, Brezar SK, Cemazar M, Biasin A, Tierno D, Scaggiante B, Grassi M, Grassi C, Dapas B, Truong NH, Abrami M, Zanconati F, Bonazza D, Rizzolio F, Parisi S, Pastorin G, Grassi G. Targeting Non-Coding RNAs for the Development of Novel Hepatocellular Carcinoma Therapeutic Approaches. Pharmaceutics 2023; 15:pharmaceutics15041249. [PMID: 37111734 PMCID: PMC10145575 DOI: 10.3390/pharmaceutics15041249] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/19/2023] [Revised: 04/12/2023] [Accepted: 04/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) remains a global health challenge, representing the third leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Although therapeutic advances have been made in the few last years, the prognosis remains poor. Thus, there is a dire need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. In this regard, two approaches can be considered: (1) the identification of tumor-targeted delivery systems and (2) the targeting of molecule(s) whose aberrant expression is confined to tumor cells. In this work, we focused on the second approach. Among the different kinds of possible target molecules, we discuss the potential therapeutic value of targeting non-coding RNAs (ncRNAs), which include micro interfering RNAs (miRNAs), long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) and circular RNAs (circRNAs). These molecules represent the most significant RNA transcripts in cells and can regulate many HCC features, including proliferation, apoptosis, invasion and metastasis. In the first part of the review, the main characteristics of HCC and ncRNAs are described. The involvement of ncRNAs in HCC is then presented over five sections: (a) miRNAs, (b) lncRNAs, (c) circRNAs, (d) ncRNAs and drug resistance and (e) ncRNAs and liver fibrosis. Overall, this work provides the reader with the most recent state-of-the-art approaches in this field, highlighting key trends and opportunities for more advanced and efficacious HCC treatments.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tanja Jesenko
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Simona Kranjc Brezar
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
| | - Maja Cemazar
- Department of Experimental Oncology, Institute of Oncology Ljubljana, Zaloska 2, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
- Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Primorska, Polje 42, SI-6310 Izola, Slovenia
| | - Alice Biasin
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, Trieste University, via Valerio 6, I-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Domenico Tierno
- Department of Life Sciences, Cattinara University Hospital, Trieste University, Strada di Fiume 447, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Bruna Scaggiante
- Department of Life Sciences, Cattinara University Hospital, Trieste University, Strada di Fiume 447, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Mario Grassi
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, Trieste University, via Valerio 6, I-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Chiara Grassi
- Degree Course in Medicine, University of Trieste, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Barbara Dapas
- Department of Life Sciences, Cattinara University Hospital, Trieste University, Strada di Fiume 447, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Nhung Hai Truong
- Faculty of Biology and Biotechnology, VNUHCM-University of Science, Ho Chi Minh City 70000, Vietnam
| | - Michela Abrami
- Department of Engineering and Architecture, Trieste University, via Valerio 6, I-34127 Trieste, Italy
| | - Fabrizio Zanconati
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 447, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Deborah Bonazza
- Department of Medical, Surgical and Health Sciences, University of Trieste, Cattinara Hospital, Strada di Fiume, 447, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Flavio Rizzolio
- Pathology Unit, Centro di Riferimento Oncologico di Aviano (CRO) IRCCS, I-33081 Aviano, Italy
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, I-30172 Venezia, Italy
| | - Salvatore Parisi
- Department of Molecular Sciences and Nanosystems, Ca' Foscari University of Venice, I-30172 Venezia, Italy
- Doctoral School in Molecular Biomedicine, University of Trieste, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
| | - Giorgia Pastorin
- Pharmacy Department, National University of Singapore, Block S9, Level 15, 4 Science Drive 2, Singapore 117544, Singapore
| | - Gabriele Grassi
- Department of Life Sciences, Cattinara University Hospital, Trieste University, Strada di Fiume 447, I-34149 Trieste, Italy
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Granata V, Fusco R, D’Alessio V, Simonetti I, Grassi F, Silvestro L, Palaia R, Belli A, Patrone R, Piccirillo M, Izzo F. Percutanous Electrochemotherapy (ECT) in Primary and Secondary Liver Malignancies: A Systematic Review. Diagnostics (Basel) 2023; 13:diagnostics13020209. [PMID: 36673019 PMCID: PMC9858594 DOI: 10.3390/diagnostics13020209] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/21/2022] [Revised: 12/29/2022] [Accepted: 12/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/09/2023] Open
Abstract
The aim of the study was to analyse papers describing the use of Electrochemotherapy (ECT) in local treatment of primary and secondary liver tumours located at different sites and with different histologies. Other Local Ablative Therapies (LAT) are also discussed. Analyses of these papers demonstrate that ECT use is safe and effective in lesions of large size, independently of the histology of the treated lesions. ECT performed better than other thermal ablation techniques in lesions > 6 cm in size and can be safely used to treat lesions distant, close, or adjacent to vital structures. ECT spares vessel and bile ducts, is repeatable, and can be performed between chemotherapeutic cycles. ECT can fill the gap in local ablative therapies due to being lesions too large or localized in highly challenging anatomical sites.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vincenza Granata
- Division of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Roberta Fusco
- Oncology Medical and Research & Development Division, Casalnuovo di Napoli, 80013 Naples, Italy
| | - Valeria D’Alessio
- Oncology Medical and Research & Development Division, Casalnuovo di Napoli, 80013 Naples, Italy
- Correspondence:
| | - Igino Simonetti
- Division of Radiology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesca Grassi
- Division of Radiology, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, 80127 Naples, Italy
| | - Lucrezia Silvestro
- Division of Clinical Experimental Oncology Abdomen, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Raffaele Palaia
- Division of Epatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Andrea Belli
- Division of Epatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Renato Patrone
- Division of Epatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Mauro Piccirillo
- Division of Epatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
| | - Francesco Izzo
- Division of Epatobiliary Surgical Oncology, Istituto Nazionale Tumori IRCCS Fondazione Pascale—IRCCS di Napoli, 80131 Naples, Italy
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