Elettrochemioterapia (ECT) come nuova strategia terapeutica nello stadio avanzato del carcinoma a cellule di Merkel del distretto testa-collo: case report

Merkel Cell Carcinoma (MCC) is a rare and aggressive tumor, arising from a cutaneous mechanoceptor cell, with poor prognosis. The main treatment for the initial stage is surgery or radiotherapy, while the treatment of advanced stage of disease is still controversial. We report a case of 84 years old woman affected by advanced MCC of the chin treated with multiple sessions of electrochemotherapy (ECT). Electrochemotherapy is a tumor ablation modality providing delivery into cell interior of impermeant or poorly permeant chemotherapeutic drugs such as cisplatin and bleomycin. A locally applied electrical field enhances the membrane permeability allowing intracellular accumulation of the chemotherapeutic agent. We treated the patient with four session of ECT in a period of 20 months with an objective response of the lesion and good quality of residual life.