Electrochemotherapy as an alternative treatment option to pelvic exenteration for recurrent vulvar cancer of the perineum region

Vivod, Gregor (author), Kovačević, Nina (author), Čemažar, Maja (author), Serša, Gregor (author), Jesenko, Tanja (author), Bošnjak, Maša (author), Kranjc Brezar, Simona (author), Merlo, Sebastjan (author)

Objective: Pelvic exenteration in women with recurrent vulvar carcinoma is associated with high morbidity and mortality and substantial treatment costs. Because pelvic exenteration severely affects the quality of life and can lead to significant complications, other treatment modalities, such as electrochemotherapy, have been proposed. The aim of this study was to evaluate the feasibility and suitability of electrochemotherapy in the treatment of recurrent vulvar cancer. We aimed to analyze the treatment options, treatment outcomes, and complications in patients with recurrent vulvar cancer of the perineum. Methods: A retrospective analysis of patients who had undergone pelvic exenteration for vulvar cancer at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana over a 16-year period was performed. As an experimental, less mutilating treatment, electrochemotherapy was performed on one patient with recurrent vulvar cancer involving the perineum. Comparative data analysis was performed between the group with pelvic exenteration and the patient with electrochemotherapy, comparing hospital stay, disease recurrence after treatment, survival after treatment in months, and quality of life after treatment. Results: We observed recurrence of disease in 2 patients with initial FIGO stage IIIC disease 3 months and 32 months after pelvic exenteration, and they died of the disease 15 and 38 months after pelvic exenteration. Two patients with FIGO stage IB were alive at 74 and 88 months after pelvic exenteration. One patient with initial FIGO stage IIIC was alive 12 months after treatment with electrochemotherapy with no visible signs of disease progression in the vulvar region, and the lesions had a complete response. The patient treated with electrochemotherapy was hospitalized for 4 days compared with the patients with pelvic exenteration, in whom the average hospital stay was 19.75 (± 1.68) days. Conclusion: Our experience has shown that electrochemotherapy might be a less radical alternative to pelvic exenteration, especially for patients with initially higher FIGO stages.

• Language: English
• Keywords: vulvar cancer, electrochemotherapy, surgery, pelvic exenteration, recurrent disease
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine; ZF - Faculty of Health Sciences; FFA - Faculty of Pharmacy
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2022
• Number of pages: 7 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 21
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-144197
• UDC: 618.1
• ISSN on article: 1533-0338
• DOI: 10.1177/15330338221116489
• COBISS.SI-ID: 117591811
• Publication date in RUL: 03.02.2023

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Technology in cancer research and treatment
• Publisher: SAGE
• ISSN: 1533-0338
• COBISS.SI-ID: 29671385

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: rak vulve, elektrokemoterapija, kirurgija

Projects

• Funder: ARRS - Slovenian Research Agency
• Project number: P3-0003
• Name: Razvoj in ovrednotenje novih terapij za zdravljenje malignih tumorjev