Electrochemotherapy: A treatment with specific intent in specific skin tumors—Experience from the European Institute of Oncology, Milan.

e20042 Background: Elettrochemotherapy (ECT) is a consolidated treatment in Europe for the treatment of cutaneous and non-cutaneous cancers. The aim of this study was to analyse the effects of ECT in relation to different cancers histotypes, sites, and extent of disease. Methods: Between May 2006 and January 2013, 232 ECT treatments were carried out in 151 evaluable patients (pts) at the European Institute of Oncology, Milan, Italy. ECT treatment was proposed to pts with not operable local disease or to pts with systemic and local disease at risk for complications. The evaluation of response was evaluated on the treated lesions and on the whole local disease. Pts were followed up at one, three, six and twelve months; disease assessment was carried out at every visit. Treatment was performed in 67 pts with melanoma, 23 with basal cell carcinoma (BCC) and 30 with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 10 with breast cancer, 12 with Kaposi sarcoma, 3 with aggressive fibromatosis (AF), 6 with soft tissue sarcomas. Median age of pts was 70 years (range 27-88 years). Results: Objective Responses (OR) were significantly different among different histotypes (P=0.002 after the first month and P<0.001 after third, sixth and 12th months from treatment). OR in melanoma was 91%, 77%, 51% and 23%, in SCC was 70%, 39%, 36% and 30%, in BCC was 96%, 88%, 92%, 81%, in Kaposi sarcoma was 100%, 89%, 89%, 78% at the first, third, sixth and 12th month respectively. Mild side effects were observed at the site of electrodes application and consisted in transient erythema and slight edema around the treated lesions. Conclusions: ECT demonstrated a good safety profile. According to our data, ECT could be considered a palliative local treatment for melanoma and breast cancer and a definitive curative treatment for Kaposi sarcoma and BCC.