None listed
Conditions
Brief summary
The purpose of this study is to compare a new treatment called electrochemotherapy (ECT) with standard surgical treatment for keratinocyte skin cancers, which are the most common type of skin cancer in Australia. The research team would like to see which approach is more acceptable to patients and easier to deliver in Australian hospitals. Who is it for? You may be eligible for this study if you are aged 18 years or older, you have at least one primary keratinocyte cancer, either basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and your skin cancer is able to be surgically removed (determined by the study doctor). Study details Participants who choose to enrol in this study will be randomly allocated by chance (similar to flipping a coin) to receive either ECT or surgical removal of their skin cancer. Participants who are allocated to the ECT group will receive up to two doses of bleomycin chemotherapy, delivered with localised electric pulses to their skin cancer. Participants who are allocated to the surgical group will have their skin cancer removed and a skin graft added. Both groups will receive treatment under local or general anaesthesia, depending on the number and size of your lesions. Being allocated to either group will not impact the level of care you receive. It is hoped that this research will show that electrochemotherapy is a feasible and acceptable alternative to surgery for treating keratinocyte cancers that require complex reconstruction. If this small study shows that electrochemotherapy is safe and easy to deliver, it may be expanded to enable a larger number of skin cancer patients to access this treatment.
Interventions
Intervention Name: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) Intervention Description: Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a minimally invasive treatment combining low-dose bleomycin chemotherapy with localised electric pulses to enhance drug uptake into tumour cells via electroporation. The intervention is delivered under local anaesthesia in an outpatient setting using the ePORE generator and CUTIS electrodes (Mirai Medical). Drug Details: International Non-proprietary Name (INN): Bleomycin Dose: 15,000 IU per treatment Duration: Single dose per treatment cycle; up to two cycles per lesion if partial response is observed at 8 weeks Mode of Administration: Intravenous or intratumoral injection, determined by lesion size and number, following ESOPE guidelines Device Details: Name: ePORE generator with CUTIS electrodes Manufacturer: Mirai Medical Ltd Mode of Administration: Subcutaneous probe delivering electric pulses to the lesion and a surrounding 5mm margin Treatment procedure: Participants enrolled in the trial's intervention arm will attend one treatment visit with their treating surgeon. Participants may have multiple lesions treated in a single treatment session. Your surgeon will perform the ECT in accordance with the updated European Standard Operating Procedures on Electrochemotherapy (ESOPE). Each treatment session is expected to last 60-120 minutes, depending on the number of lesions being treated. Each lesion treated will receive two pulses per electrode position, covering 100% of the visible lesion and a surrounding margin of 4-5mm (as marked pre-operatively). Coverage will be provided with overlapping fields in accordance with ESOPE guidelines, ensuring that the depth of electrode insertion is likely to be at least the depth of the tumour base. The route of bleomycin administration, intravenous (IV) vs intratumoral, is personalised based on lesion size and number, per ESOPE criteria. For the intratumoural route, electropration is delivered within 15 minutes of bleomycin and local anaesthetic injection. For the IV route, electroporation is delivered between 8 and 40 minutes after completion of the infusion. Each electroporation procedure requires no more than 5 minutes. You may receive multiple electroporation applications to treat a single lesion, depending on the lesion size. Lesions with partial response at 8 weeks may receive a second ECT cycle. Adherence and Fidelity: Adherence will be assessed by the treating surgeon and study nurse using a standardised procedure checklist. Fidelity will be maintained through training, use of ESOPE protocols, and documentation of treatment parameters in the case report form (CRF).
Sponsors
Study design
Eligibility
Inclusion criteria
Age: Participants must be aged 18 years or older. Diagnosis: Must have at least one histologically confirmed primary keratinocyte cancer, either basal cell carcinoma (BCC) or squamous cell carcinoma (SCC). Treatment Eligibility: The lesion(s) must be clinically deemed surgically resectable and require complex reconstruction using either a skin graft or flap, as defined by Medicare criteria.
Exclusion criteria
Pulmonary conditions: Patients with pulmonary fibrosis or pre-existing lung disease (e.g. COPD) are excluded due to increased risk of bleomycin-induced pulmonary toxicity. Cardiac devices: Presence of a pacemaker or defibrillator located too close to the treatment site, where electrochemotherapy cannot be safely administered without direct contact from electrodes. Lesion characteristics: Lesions located in areas not safely treatable by ECT, such as the eyelid or mucosal surfaces. Lesions that are suitable for excision and primary closure (i.e. do not require complex reconstruction). Lesions larger than 3 cm in diameter, which exceed the safe treatment threshold for ECT in this pilot study. Pregnancy and lactation: Pregnant or lactating individuals are excluded due to potential risks to the fetus or infant from bleomycin exposure. Bleomycin-related risks: Known allergy or hypersensitivity to bleomycin. Prior bleomycin exposure where participation would exceed the lifetime cumulative dose limit of 400,000 international units.