Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Treatment of Brain Tumors: Electrochemotherapy

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Book cover Tumors of the Central Nervous System, Volume 12

Part of the book series: Tumors of the Central Nervous System ((TCNS,volume 12))

Abstract

There is an increasing clinical challenge in the treatment of primary and secondary brain tumors, mostly because of a rise in the number of patients with brain metastases and the limited treatment results with the standard treatments available today. A novel and promising treatment modality, electrochemotherapy, which is a combination of the technique of electroporation and the chemotherapeutic drug bleomycin, could be a new treatment option for these patients. This chapter elucidates the background and experience with electrochemotherapy and looks into the possibilities for use in the treatment of primary and secondary brain tumors.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • AbdelWahab MMR, Wolfson AH, Raub W, Landy H, Feun L, Sridhar K, Brandon AH, Mahood S, Markoe AM (1997) The role of hyperfractionated re-irradiation in metastatic brain disease – a single institutional trial. Am J Clin Oncol 20:158–160

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Agerholm-Larsen B, Iversen HK, Ibsen P, Moller JM, Mahmood F, Jensen KS, Gehl J (2011) Preclinical validation of electrochemotherapy as an effective treatment for brain tumors. Cancer Res 71:3753–3762

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Bokemeyer C (2008) Bleomycin in testicular cancer: will pharmacogenomics improve treatment regimens? J Clin Oncol 26:1783–1785

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cooper JS, Steinfeld AD, Lerch IA (1990) Cerebral metastases – value of reirradiation in selected patients. Radiology 174:883–885

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • De Angelis LM, Yahalom J (1993) Lymphomas. In: De Vita V, Hellmann S, Rosenberg S (eds) Cancer, principles and practice of oncology, 5th edn. Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia, p 2237

    Google Scholar 

  • Frandsen SK, Gissel H, Hojman P, Tramm T, Eriksen J, Gehl J (2012) Direct therapeutic applications of calcium electroporation to effectively induce tumor necrosis. Cancer Res 72:1336–1341

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gehl J (2003) Electroporation: theory and methods, perspectives for drug delivery, gene therapy and research. Acta Physiol Scand 177:437–447

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gehl J, Skovsgaard T, Mir LM (1998) Enhancement of cytotoxicity by electropermeabilization: an improved method for screening drugs. Anticancer Drugs 9:319–325

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gori S, Rimondini S, De Angelis V, Colozza M, Bisagni G, Moretti G, Sidoni A, Basurto C, Aristei C, Anastasi P, Crino L (2007) Central nervous system metastases in HER-2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients treated with trastuzumab: incidence, survival, and risk factors. Oncologist 12:766–773

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Gothelf A, Mir LM, Gehl J (2003) Electrochemotherapy: results of cancer treatment using enhanced delivery of bleomycin by electroporation. Cancer Treat Rev 29:371–387

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hazuka MB, Kinzie JJ (1988) Brain metastases – results and effects of re-irradiation. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 15:433–437

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Heller R, Jaroszeski MJ, Reintgen DS, Puleo CA, DeConti RC, Gilbert RA, Glass LF (1998) Treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous tumors with electrochemotherapy using intralesional bleomycin. Cancer 83:148–157

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hojman P, Gissel H, Andre FM, Cournil-Henrionnet C, Eriksen J, Gehl J, Mir LM (2008) Physiological effects of high- and Low-voltage pulse combinations for gene electrotransfer in muscle. Hum Gene Ther 19:1249–1260

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Jaroszeski MJ, Dang V, Pottinger C, Hickey J, Gilbert R, Heller R (2000) Toxicity of anticancer agents mediated by electroporation in vitro. Anticancer Drugs 11:201–208

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuhn MJ, Hammer GM, Swenson LC, Youssef HT, Gleason TJ (1994) Mri evaluation Op solitary brain metastases with triple-dose gadoteridol – comparison with contrast-enhanced Ct and conventional-dose gadopentetate dimeglumine Mri studies in the same patients. Comput Med Imaging Graph 18:391–399

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kurup P, Reddy S, Hendrickson FR (1980) Results of re-irradiation for cerebral metastases. Cancer 46:2587–2589

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Lazo J, Chabner B (1996) Bleomycin. In: Cancer chemotherapy and biotherapy, 2nd edn. Lippincott-Raven Publishers, Philadelphia, pp 379–393

    Google Scholar 

  • Li J, Bentzen SM, Renschler M, Mehta MP (2007) Regression after whole-brain radiation therapy for brain metastases correlates with survival and improved neurocognitive function. J Clin Oncol 25:1260–1266

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Linnert M, Gehl J (2009) Bleomycin treatment of brain tumors: an evaluation. Anticancer Drugs 20:157–164

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Marty M, Sersa G, Garbay JR, Gehl J, Collins CG, Snoj M, Billard V, Geertsen PF, Larkin JO, Miklavcic D, Pavlovic I, Paulin-Kosir SM, Cemazar M, Morsli N, Rudolf Z, Robert C, O’Sullivan GC, Mir LM (2006) Electrochemotherapy – an easy, highly effective and safe treatment of cutaneous and subcutaneous metastases: results of ESOPE (European Standard Operating Procedures of Electrochemotherapy) study. EJC Supplements 4:3–13

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Matthiessen LW, Johannesen HH, Hendel HW, Moss T, Kamby C, Gehl J (2012) Electrochemotherapyfor large cutaneous recurrence of breast cancer: a phase II clinical trial. Acta Oncol 51:713–721

    Google Scholar 

  • Meyers CA, Smith JA, Bezjak A, Mehta MP, Liebmann J, Illidge T, Kunkler I, Caudrelier JM, Eisenberg PD, Meerwaldt J, Siemers R, Carrie C, Gaspar LE, Curran W, Phan SC, Miller RA, Renschler MF (2004) Neurocognitive function and progression in patients with brain metastases treated with whole-brain radiation and motexafin gadolinium: results of a randomized phase III trial. J Clin Oncol 22:157–165

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Mir LM, Tounekti O, Orlowski S (1996) Bleomycin: revival of an old drug. Gen Pharmacol 27:745–748

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Neuwelt EA (2004) Mechanisms of disease: the blood-brain barrier. Neurosurgery 54:131–140

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Orlowski S, Belehradek J Jr, Paoletti C, Mir LM (1988) Transient electropermeabilization of cells in culture. Increase of the cytotoxicity of anticancer drugs. Biochem Pharmacol 37:4727–4733

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Poddevin B, Orlowski S, Belehradek J, Mir LM (1991) Very high cytotoxicity of bleomycin introduced into the cytosol of cells in culture. Biochem Pharmacol 42:S67–S75

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ryberg M, Nielsen D, Osterlind K, Andersen PK, Skovsgaard T, Dombernowsky P (2005) Predictors of central nervous system metastasis in patients with metastatic breast cancer. A competing risk analysis of 579 patients treated with epirubicin-based chemotherapy. Breast Cancer Res Treat 91:217–225

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sadikov E, Bezjak A, Yi QL, Wells W, Dawson L, Millar BA, Laperriere N (2007) Value of whole brain re-irradiation for brain metastases – single centre experience. Clin Oncol 19:532–538

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Salford LG, Persson BR, Brun A, Ceberg CP, Kongstad PC, Mir LM (1993) A new brain tumour therapy combining bleomycin with in vivo electropermeabilization. Biochem Biophys Res Commun 194:938–943

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Saulis G, Venslauskas MS, Naktinis J (1991) Kinetics of pore resealing in cell-membranes after electroporation. Bioelectrochem Bioenerg 26:1–13

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Shehata WM, Hendrick FR, Hindo WA (1974) Rapid fractionation technique and retreatment of cerebral metastases by irradiation. Cancer 34:257–261

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Siesjo P, Visse E, Lindvall M, Salford L, Sjogren HO (1993) Immunization with mutagen-treated (tum-) cells causes rejection of nonimmunogenic rat glioma isografts. Cancer Immunol Immunother 37:67–74

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Smedby KE, Brandt L, Backlund ML, Blomqvist P (2009) Brain metastases admissions in Sweden between 1987 and 2006. Br J Cancer 101:1919–1924

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sperduto PW, Berkey B, Gaspar LE, Mehta M, Curran W (2008) A new prognostic index and comparison to three other indices for patients with brain metastases: an analysis of 1,960 patients in the RTOG database. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 70:510–514

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Teissie J, Rols MP (1993) An experimental evaluation of the critical potential difference inducing cell-membrane electropermeabilization. Biophys J 65:409–413

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Tounekti O, Kenani A, Foray N, Orlowski S, Mir LM (2001) The ratio of single- to double-strand DNA breaks and their absolute values determine cell death pathway. Br J Cancer 84:1272–1279

    Article  CAS  PubMed Central  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Umezawa H, Maeda K, Takeuchi T, Okami Y (1966) New antibiotics, bleomycin A and B. J Antibiot (Tokyo) 19:200–209

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Videtic GM, Gaspar LE, Aref AM, Germano IM, Goldsmith BJ, Imperato JP, Marcus KJ, McDermott MW, McDonald MW, Patchell RA, Robins HI, Rogers CL, Suh JH, Wolfson AH, Wippold FJ (2009) American college of radiology appropriateness criteria on multiple brain metastases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 75:961–965

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Wong WW, Schild SE, Sawyer TE, Shaw EG (1996) Analysis of outcome in patients reirradiated for brain metastases. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 34:585–590

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Oncology, Copenhagen University Hospital Herlev, 54B1, Herlev Ringvej 75, DK-2730, Herlev, Denmark

    Mette Linnert, Birgit Agerholm-Larsen, Faisal Mahmood, Helle K. Iversen & Julie Gehl

Authors
  1. Mette Linnert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Birgit Agerholm-Larsen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Faisal Mahmood
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Helle K. Iversen
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Julie Gehl
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Julie Gehl .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biological Sciences, Kean University, Room 213, Library Building, Union, New Jersey, USA

    M.A. Hayat

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2014 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Linnert, M., Agerholm-Larsen, B., Mahmood, F., Iversen, H.K., Gehl, J. (2014). Treatment of Brain Tumors: Electrochemotherapy. In: Hayat, M. (eds) Tumors of the Central Nervous System, Volume 12. Tumors of the Central Nervous System, vol 12. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7217-5_22

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-7217-5_22

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht

  • Print ISBN: 978-94-007-7216-8

  • Online ISBN: 978-94-007-7217-5

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation