Electroporation Enhances Bleomycin Efficacy in Cats with Periocular Carcinoma and Advanced Squamous Cell Carcinoma of the Head.

BACKGROUND: Advanced carcinoma of the head represents a substantial health problem in cats for local control and overall survival. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the capability of electrochemotherapy (ECT) to improve bleomycin efficacy in cats with periocular carcinoma and advanced carcinoma of the head. ANIMALS: Twenty-one cats with periocular carcinoma (17 squamous cell carcinoma [SCC] and 4 anaplastic carcinoma) and 26 cats with advanced SCC of the head. METHODS: Nonrandomized prospective controlled study. Periocular carcinoma cohorts: 12 cats were treated with bleomycin (15 mg/m(2) i.v.) coupled with ECT under anesthesia; 9 cats were treated with bleomycin alone. Advanced head SCC cohorts: 14 cats were treated with bleomycin (15 mg/m(2) i.v.) coupled with ECT administered under sedation; 12 control cats were treated with bleomycin alone. ECT treatments (2-8) were performed every other week until complete remission (CR) or tumor progression occurred. RESULTS: Toxicities were minimal and mostly treated symptomatically. Overall response rate in the ECT treated animals was 89% (21 Complete Response [CR] and 2 Partial Response [PR]) whereas controls had response rate of 33% (4 CR and 3 PR). Median time to progression in ECT group was 30.5 months, whereas in controls it was 3.9 months (P < .0001). Median time to progression for ECT cohorts was 24.2 months for periocular cohort and 20.6 in advanced head SCC cohort, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: Electrochemotherapy is well tolerated for advanced SCC of the head in cats; its use may be considered among loco-regional strategies for cancer therapy in sensitive body regions such as periocular region.

Infiltrating cribriform carcinoma of the breast. A clinico-pathologic and immunohistochemical study of 5 cases.

Clinical and pathological features of five cases of infiltrating cribriform carcinoma (ICC) of the breast observed between 1990 and 1994 are reported. Using histological criteria by Page et al., three cases of pure ICC and two cases of mixed ICC were identified. In the mixed forms, the cribriform component made up about 80% of the neoplasm. After clinical follow-up, from one to five years long, no relapses, axillary lymph nodes or distant metastases were found, even in two cases with very large neoplasms (20 cm and 10 cm, respectively). This report confirms that this type of carcinoma has a very favorable prognosis, especially pure and mixed forms with a predominant cribriform component. Clinical and histological features make ICC a peculiar form of breast carcinoma.