Long-Term Outcome of Electrochemotherapy in the Treatment of Advanced Stages (T₃-T₄) of Feline Nasal Planum Squamous Cell Carcinoma.

Authors

Delia Franchini, Ilaria Laino, Chiara Perrone, Antonio Di Bello, Stefano Ciccarelli

Published in

Veterinary and comparative oncology. Jul 03, 2026. Epub Jul 03, 2026.

Abstract

Electrochemotherapy is increasingly used as a locoregional treatment for feline squamous cell carcinoma, but its role in advanced nasal planum disease remains poorly defined. This retrospective study evaluated the long-term outcome of ECT as a sole treatment modality in 18 cats with T₃-T₄N₀M₀ nasal planum squamous cell carcinoma. Adverse events were assessed according to VCOG-CTCAE v2. Response was assessed using RECIST v1.1 criteria, and progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and time to progression (TTP) were analysed using Kaplan-Meier methods. At the end of treatment, 72.2% of cats achieved complete response, 16.7% partial response and 11.1% stable disease, resulting in an overall response rate of 88.8%. The 1-year complete response rate was 61.1%. Treatment response was significantly associated with PFS (p = 0.006), OS (p < 0.001) and TTP (p = 0.006), while recurrence was associated with shorter PFS (p = 0.003) and OS (p = 0.002). The 1-year risk of recurrence was 50%. Adverse events were mostly low-grade (VCOG Grade I-II) and self-limiting, the most common being transient local pain, erythema/crusting and pruritus; no grade ≥ 3 complications such as tissue necrosis or fistula formation were observed. These results suggest that ECT is an effective and well-tolerated treatment also in advanced stages nasal planum squamous cell carcinoma, with high response rates and long-term control disease. The risk of recurrence underscores the need for prolonged follow-up, as additional treatment sessions may be performed upon relapse, while ECT can also be used with palliative intent to prolong survival while preserving quality of life.

PMID:
42400110
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 04 Jul 2026.

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