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Veterinary ophthalmology2024; doi: 10.1111/vop.13310

Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin for bilateral ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse.

Abstract: To describe the procedure and outcome of electrochemotherapy (ECT) with bleomycin as a first-line treatment for bilateral ocular surface squamous neoplasia (OSSN) in the eye of a horse. Methods: A client-owned 5-year-old Haflinger gelding with limbal-conjunctival squamous cell carcinoma. Methods: During general and local anesthesia, injection of bleomycin in the ocular tumor was followed by electroporation, applied with a 15 mm needle electrode, needles held parallel to the ocular surface. Results: Treatment with ECT resulted in therapeutic electric pulses and complete tumor response with no recurrence during follow-up. Tumor toxicity as a result of treatment was mild, with no adverse effect to normal tissue. Conclusions: In this case of bilateral ocular tumors, staged ECT with bleomycin was shown to be a safe and effective treatment with complete tumor remission and no recurrence during the observation period. The result suggests ECT as a possible treatment in ocular tumors, with further research recommended.
© 2024 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.
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Publication Date: 2024-12-16 PubMed ID: 39681541DOI: 10.1111/vop.13310Google Scholar: Lookup
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Summary

This research summary has been generated with artificial intelligence and may contain errors and omissions. Refer to the original study to confirm details provided. Submit correction.

This research covers the use and outcome of electrochemotherapy, combined with the drug bleomycin, as a primary treatment for squamous cell carcinoma in both eyes of a horse. The results showed that the treatment was effective and safe, as there was complete tumor remission without any recurrence or damage to normal tissue.

Introduction

  • The aim of this research was to present the process and results of using electrochemotherapy (ECT) coupled with bleomycin to treat squamous cell carcinoma in both eyes of a horse. Squamous cell carcinoma is a type of skin cancer.
  • The subject was a five-year-old Haflinger gelding who was client-owned, suffering from the aforementioned type of cancer specifically at the limbal-conjunctival area of the eyes.

Methodology

  • The procedure was performed under both general and local anesthesia.
  • The initial stage involved injecting bleomycin, a chemotherapeutic drug, into the ocular tumor. This was followed by applying electroporation through a 15 mm needle electrode, with the needles held parallel to the ocular surface.
  • Electroporation involves using short pulses of electricity to temporarily perforate cells, which helps chemotherapy drugs like bleomycin enter the cancer cells more efficiently.

Results

  • The result of this treatment was that therapeutic electric pulses were indeed produced, leading to a complete response from the tumor, meaning it regressed entirely.
  • Throughout the course of follow-up, there was no recurrence of the tumor.
  • The level of toxicity in the tumor due to the treatment was mild, with no side effects detected on the normal, healthy tissue surrounding the tumor.

Conclusion

  • The case demonstrated that using staged ECT combined with bleomycin was a safe and effective treatment in this instance of bilateral ocular tumors, yielding complete tumor remission and no recurrence during the observational period.
  • Based on these results, ECT is suggested as a possible treatment option for ocular tumors, although the authors recommend further research on this.

Cite This Article

APA
Larsen MME, Eriksson A, Impellizeri JA. (2024). Electrochemotherapy with bleomycin for bilateral ocular squamous cell carcinoma in a horse. Vet Ophthalmol. https://doi.org/10.1111/vop.13310

Publication

Veterinary ophthalmology
ISSN: 1463-5224
NlmUniqueID: 100887377
Country: England
Language: English

Researcher Affiliations

Larsen, Majbritt M E
  • Evidensia Specialist Animal Hospital Helsingborg, Helsingborg, Sweden.
Eriksson, Anna
  • Evidensia Equine Hospital Helsingborg, Helsingborg, Sweden.
Impellizeri, Joseph A
  • Veterinary Oncology Services, New York, New York, USA.

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Citations

This article has been cited 1 times.
  1. Ostendarp C, Barton AK. Intraocular Tumors in Horses: Diagnosis, Tumor Classification, Oncologic Assessment and Therapy. Vet Sci 2025 Oct 17;12(10).
    doi: 10.3390/vetsci12101006pubmed: 41150147google scholar: lookup
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