Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Electroporation improves bleomycin treatment for cats with eye
By Spugnini, E P et al.·Published in Journal of veterinary internal medicine·2015·Regina Elena Cancer Institute, Italy·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Electroporation Enhances Bleomycin Efficacy in Cats with Periocular Carcinoma and Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head.
- Species:
- cat
Plain-English summary
A group of cats with advanced squamous cell carcinoma (a type of skin cancer) on their heads received a treatment called electrochemotherapy (ECT) combined with bleomycin, a chemotherapy drug. This combination was found to be much more effective than bleomycin alone, with 89% of the cats showing improvement compared to just 33% in the control group. The cats treated with ECT had a median time to progression of 30.5 months, significantly longer than the 3.9 months for those who only received bleomycin. Overall, ECT was well tolerated and could be a good option for treating cancer in sensitive areas like around the eyes.
People also search for: cat squamous cell carcinoma treatment · electrochemotherapy for cats · bleomycin side effects in cats
Abstract
BACKGROUND: Advanced carcinoma of the head represents a substantial health problem in cats for local control and overall survival. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the capability of electrochemotherapy (ECT) to improve bleomycin efficacy in cats with periocular carcinoma and advanced carcinoma of the head. ANIMALS: Twenty-one cats with periocular carcinoma (17 squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] and 4 anaplastic carcinoma) and 26 cats with advanced SCC of the head. METHODS: Nonrandomized prospective controlled study. Periocular carcinoma cohorts: 12 cats were treated with bleomycin (15 mg/m(2) i.v.) coupled with ECT under anesthesia; 9 cats were treated with bleomycin alone. Advanced head SCC cohorts: 14 cats were treated with bleomycin (15 mg/m(2) i.v.) coupled with ECT administered under sedation; 12 control cats were treated with bleomycin alone. ECT treatments (2-8) were performed every other week until complete remission (CR) or tumor progression occurred. RESULTS: Toxicities were minimal and mostly treated symptomatically. Overall response rate in the ECT treated animals was 89% (21 Complete Response [CR] and 2 Partial Response [PR]) whereas controls had response rate of 33% (4 CR and 3 PR). Median time to progression in ECT group was 30.5 months, whereas in controls it was 3.9 months (P < .0001). Median time to progression for ECT cohorts was 24.2 months for periocular cohort and 20.6 in advanced head SCC cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Electrochemotherapy is well tolerated for advanced SCC of the head in cats; its use may be considered among loco-regional strategies for cancer therapy in sensitive body regions such as periocular region.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26192904/