Use of electrochemotherapy in a case of neck skin metastasis of oral squamous cell carcinoma: Case report and considerations

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) is the most common oral cavity malignant tumor. Surgery, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy have been the major options for its treatment. Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a novel local treatment successfully used in secondary or primary skin or subcutaneous tumors. This new cancer treatment is a modality in which a locally applied electrical field enhances cell membrane permeability, thereby allowing greater intracellular accumulation of a chemotherapeutic agent. METHODS: We report a case of a man affected by an ulcerated SCC. The man was treated with ECT with good results. RESULTS: In our case, ECT was successful in the management of extensive metastasis of SCC in clinical conditions, whereas other approaches were rejected. CONCLUSION: This case shows good clinical results; however, other studies are necessary to show that ECT should be considered as a promising treatment option. © 2014 The Authors. Head & Neck Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 36: E86–E90, 2014