European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers

Christina Caroline Plaschke; Giulia Bertino; James A. McCaul; Juan J. Grau; Remco de Bree; Gregor Sersa; Antonio Occhini; Ales Groselj; Cristobal Langdon; Derrek A. Heuveling; Maja Cemazar; Primoz Strojan; C. Rene Leemans; Marco Benazzo; Francesca De Terlizzi; Irene Wessel; Julie Gehl

doi:10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008

European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers

Christina Caroline Plaschke, Giulia Bertino, James A. McCaul, Juan J. Grau, Remco de Bree, Gregor Sersa, Antonio Occhini, Ales Groselj, Cristobal Langdon, Derrek A. Heuveling, Maja Cemazar, Primoz Strojan, C. Rene Leemans, Marco Benazzo, Francesca De Terlizzi, Irene Wessel, Julie Gehl^*

^*Corresponding author for this work

Department of Clinical Medicine

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

Aim Electrochemotherapy is an effective local treatment for cutaneous tumours and metastases. In this prospective trial, six European institutions investigated electrochemotherapy in recurrent, mucosal head and neck tumours. Patient and methods Forty-three patients with recurrent mucosal head and neck tumours and no further curative or reasonably effective palliative treatment options were enrolled and treated with electrochemotherapy. Patients were treated in general anaesthesia using intravenous or local injection of bleomycin followed by delivery of electric pulses to the tumour area. Primary end-point was local tumour response. Secondary end-points were safety and toxicity, overall and progression free survival, and quality-of-life. Results Thirty-seven patients were evaluable for tumour response, pain score, side-effects and quality of life questionnaires. Six patients were not evaluable due to lost follow-up, disease progression or death before evaluation. Intention to treat analysis revealed an objective response of 56% (complete response 8 (19%), partial response 16 (37%), stable disease 10 (23%), progressive disease 3 (7%), and not evaluable 6 (14%)). Three patients (7%) remained in complete response at 30, 34, and 84 months post-treatment. The treatment procedure was generally well tolerated. Swelling of the mucosa was observed in the first days after treatment. Pain and use of pain medication rose temporarily; fatigue and dysphagia were also noted in the quality of life assessment. Conclusion Electrochemotherapy can be applied to mucosal head and neck recurrent tumours accessible to the procedure with promising objective response, survival and toxicity profile. Attention should be paid to post-treatment swelling and planning of pain medication. These favourable results indicate that electrochemotherapy could play a role in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

Original language	English
Journal	European Journal of Cancer
Volume	87
Pages (from-to)	172-181
ISSN	0959-8049
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008
Publication status	Published - 2017

Keywords

Electrochemotherapy
Head and neck cancer
Palliative treatment
Quality of life
Squamous cell carcinoma

UN SDGs

This output contributes to the following UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs)

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10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008

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Plaschke, C. C., Bertino, G., McCaul, J. A., Grau, J. J., de Bree, R., Sersa, G., Occhini, A., Groselj, A., Langdon, C., Heuveling, D. A., Cemazar, M., Strojan, P., Leemans, C. R., Benazzo, M., De Terlizzi, F., Wessel, I., & Gehl, J. (2017). European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers. European Journal of Cancer, 87, 172-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008

Plaschke, CC, Bertino, G, McCaul, JA, Grau, JJ, de Bree, R, Sersa, G, Occhini, A, Groselj, A, Langdon, C, Heuveling, DA, Cemazar, M, Strojan, P, Leemans, CR, Benazzo, M, De Terlizzi, F, Wessel, I & Gehl, J 2017, 'European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers', European Journal of Cancer, vol. 87, pp. 172-181. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008

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title = "European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers",

abstract = "Aim Electrochemotherapy is an effective local treatment for cutaneous tumours and metastases. In this prospective trial, six European institutions investigated electrochemotherapy in recurrent, mucosal head and neck tumours. Patient and methods Forty-three patients with recurrent mucosal head and neck tumours and no further curative or reasonably effective palliative treatment options were enrolled and treated with electrochemotherapy. Patients were treated in general anaesthesia using intravenous or local injection of bleomycin followed by delivery of electric pulses to the tumour area. Primary end-point was local tumour response. Secondary end-points were safety and toxicity, overall and progression free survival, and quality-of-life. Results Thirty-seven patients were evaluable for tumour response, pain score, side-effects and quality of life questionnaires. Six patients were not evaluable due to lost follow-up, disease progression or death before evaluation. Intention to treat analysis revealed an objective response of 56% (complete response 8 (19%), partial response 16 (37%), stable disease 10 (23%), progressive disease 3 (7%), and not evaluable 6 (14%)). Three patients (7%) remained in complete response at 30, 34, and 84 months post-treatment. The treatment procedure was generally well tolerated. Swelling of the mucosa was observed in the first days after treatment. Pain and use of pain medication rose temporarily; fatigue and dysphagia were also noted in the quality of life assessment. Conclusion Electrochemotherapy can be applied to mucosal head and neck recurrent tumours accessible to the procedure with promising objective response, survival and toxicity profile. Attention should be paid to post-treatment swelling and planning of pain medication. These favourable results indicate that electrochemotherapy could play a role in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.",

keywords = "Electrochemotherapy, Head and neck cancer, Palliative treatment, Quality of life, Squamous cell carcinoma",

author = "Plaschke, {Christina Caroline} and Giulia Bertino and McCaul, {James A.} and Grau, {Juan J.} and {de Bree}, Remco and Gregor Sersa and Antonio Occhini and Ales Groselj and Cristobal Langdon and Heuveling, {Derrek A.} and Maja Cemazar and Primoz Strojan and Leemans, {C. Rene} and Marco Benazzo and {De Terlizzi}, Francesca and Irene Wessel and Julie Gehl",

year = "2017",

doi = "10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008",

language = "English",

volume = "87",

pages = "172--181",

journal = "European Journal of Cancer, Supplement",

issn = "0959-8049",

publisher = "Pergamon",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project

T2 - Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers

AU - Plaschke, Christina Caroline

AU - Bertino, Giulia

AU - McCaul, James A.

AU - Grau, Juan J.

AU - de Bree, Remco

AU - Sersa, Gregor

AU - Occhini, Antonio

AU - Groselj, Ales

AU - Langdon, Cristobal

AU - Heuveling, Derrek A.

AU - Cemazar, Maja

AU - Strojan, Primoz

AU - Leemans, C. Rene

AU - Benazzo, Marco

AU - De Terlizzi, Francesca

AU - Wessel, Irene

AU - Gehl, Julie

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - Aim Electrochemotherapy is an effective local treatment for cutaneous tumours and metastases. In this prospective trial, six European institutions investigated electrochemotherapy in recurrent, mucosal head and neck tumours. Patient and methods Forty-three patients with recurrent mucosal head and neck tumours and no further curative or reasonably effective palliative treatment options were enrolled and treated with electrochemotherapy. Patients were treated in general anaesthesia using intravenous or local injection of bleomycin followed by delivery of electric pulses to the tumour area. Primary end-point was local tumour response. Secondary end-points were safety and toxicity, overall and progression free survival, and quality-of-life. Results Thirty-seven patients were evaluable for tumour response, pain score, side-effects and quality of life questionnaires. Six patients were not evaluable due to lost follow-up, disease progression or death before evaluation. Intention to treat analysis revealed an objective response of 56% (complete response 8 (19%), partial response 16 (37%), stable disease 10 (23%), progressive disease 3 (7%), and not evaluable 6 (14%)). Three patients (7%) remained in complete response at 30, 34, and 84 months post-treatment. The treatment procedure was generally well tolerated. Swelling of the mucosa was observed in the first days after treatment. Pain and use of pain medication rose temporarily; fatigue and dysphagia were also noted in the quality of life assessment. Conclusion Electrochemotherapy can be applied to mucosal head and neck recurrent tumours accessible to the procedure with promising objective response, survival and toxicity profile. Attention should be paid to post-treatment swelling and planning of pain medication. These favourable results indicate that electrochemotherapy could play a role in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

AB - Aim Electrochemotherapy is an effective local treatment for cutaneous tumours and metastases. In this prospective trial, six European institutions investigated electrochemotherapy in recurrent, mucosal head and neck tumours. Patient and methods Forty-three patients with recurrent mucosal head and neck tumours and no further curative or reasonably effective palliative treatment options were enrolled and treated with electrochemotherapy. Patients were treated in general anaesthesia using intravenous or local injection of bleomycin followed by delivery of electric pulses to the tumour area. Primary end-point was local tumour response. Secondary end-points were safety and toxicity, overall and progression free survival, and quality-of-life. Results Thirty-seven patients were evaluable for tumour response, pain score, side-effects and quality of life questionnaires. Six patients were not evaluable due to lost follow-up, disease progression or death before evaluation. Intention to treat analysis revealed an objective response of 56% (complete response 8 (19%), partial response 16 (37%), stable disease 10 (23%), progressive disease 3 (7%), and not evaluable 6 (14%)). Three patients (7%) remained in complete response at 30, 34, and 84 months post-treatment. The treatment procedure was generally well tolerated. Swelling of the mucosa was observed in the first days after treatment. Pain and use of pain medication rose temporarily; fatigue and dysphagia were also noted in the quality of life assessment. Conclusion Electrochemotherapy can be applied to mucosal head and neck recurrent tumours accessible to the procedure with promising objective response, survival and toxicity profile. Attention should be paid to post-treatment swelling and planning of pain medication. These favourable results indicate that electrochemotherapy could play a role in patients with recurrent head and neck cancer.

KW - Electrochemotherapy

KW - Head and neck cancer

KW - Palliative treatment

KW - Quality of life

KW - Squamous cell carcinoma

U2 - 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008

DO - 10.1016/j.ejca.2017.10.008

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 29156298

AN - SCOPUS:85034068490

SN - 0959-8049

VL - 87

SP - 172

EP - 181

JO - European Journal of Cancer, Supplement

JF - European Journal of Cancer, Supplement

ER -

European Research on Electrochemotherapy in Head and Neck Cancer (EURECA) project: Results from the treatment of mucosal cancers

Abstract

Keywords

UN SDGs

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