CLINICAL EFFECTIVENESS OF ELECTROCHEMICAL THERAPY IN TREATING MAXILLOFACIAL TUMOURS XIN Yu-Ling

China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China

ABSTRACT Electrochemical therapy, ECT, has been used to treat 122 cases of various kinds of tumour, among them, 8lcases were malignant tumours (32 cases facial, 18 cases subaural, 16 cases labial), and the other 41 cases were benign tumours (cavernous hemangioma at facial region 23 cases and in oral cavity 18 cases). Pathological examination of malignant tumours revealed that there were 63 cases of squamous epithelial cancers and 18 cases of adenocarcinoma. Cavernous hemangioma is benign tumour and congenital. Special designed and made platinum needles were inserted into the tumours and the needles were connected to a direct current producing instrument turning on the electricity for treatment. Voltage used was usually 8 volts with current 60-80 mA. The quantity electricity applied was 100 coulombs per 1 cm in diameter of the tumour. The effectiveness of treating malignant tumours was:

CR42 cases (51.8 %)‚ PR31 cases (38.3 %)‚ NC 5 cases (6.2%) and PD 3 cases (3.7 %). CR+ PR was 73 cases (90.1 %). The effectiveness of treating 41 cases of benign hemangioma was: CR 38cases (92.7

%) and PR 3 cases (7.3 %). One, three and five year survival rates of malignant tumour patients were

95%, 65.4 % and 37 %‚ respectively. While all the 41 patients with hemangioma survived over five years after treatment. Key words: electrochemical therapy tumours, maxillofacial

Experimental study and clinical application of electrochemical therapy (ECT) have been conducted in China since 1987 based on the theory of Biologically Closed Electric Circuits (BCEC) put forth by Professor B. Nordenström. Experimental results showed that tumour tissue could be destroyed by inserting platinum needles into tumour and passing direct electric current between needles. In past ten years, over seven thousands malignant tumour patients and over three hundreds benign tumour patients have been treated by EAT with satisfactory results. This method is simple, easy to be managed, save, effective, with minimal trauma and quick recovery. lt is applicable to those patients with late stage cancers and not operable, not suitable for radio- or chemotherapy. The results of treating 122 cases of maxillofacial tumours with ECT is reported.

CLINICAL DATA The 122 cases were treated in 1988 to 1992. There were 78 male cases and 44 female cases. Age range was 4 months old to 93 years old with as average age of 47.5 years. The average age for benign tumours was 14.5 years and that for malignant tumours was 57.8 years. See table 1. 

Table 1 Sex and age of 122 cases

Among the 122 cases, 81 cases were with malignant tumours. There were 32 cases of facial squamous epithelial cancer, 18 cases of cancers of subaural glands, 16 cases of cancers of lips and 15 cases of tongue cancer. Of the 81 cases, cancers of 63 cases were squamous carcinoma and cancers of 18 cases were adenocarcinoma. The other 41 cases were with benign tumours, that is, cavemous hemangioma. Of which, 23 cases had hemangioma located at maxillofacial region and hemangioma of 18 cases were located in oral cavity. All of the hemangiomas were congenital.

The diameter of tumours were from 3.5 cm to 13 cm with an average of 5.8 cm. There was no marked difference if diameters between malignant and benign tumours. See table 2.

Table 2 The size of tumours (cm)

Clinical stage of the 81 cases of malignant tumours were: II stage 32 cases, III stage 4I cases and IV stage 8 cases. There was no case at I stage. See table 3. All of the 8 cases of IV stage were with metastasis. Of them, there were metastasis to cervical lymph nodes 5 cases, to maxillary sinus 2 cases and to brain I case. They first received radio- or chemotherapy and then EAT.

Table 3     Pathological stages of 31 cases of malignant tumours

METHOD    BK 92 type direct current therapeutic instrument and specially made platinum needles 0.7 mm in diameter and I5 em in length were used. The treatment was done under aseptic condition and local anaesthesia. Needles must be inserted all through the tumour mass. Distance between two needles is 20 mm. Then, according to the size of tumour, the number of needles could be calculated. Needles, then were connected to the therapeutic instrument. Voltage used was 6-8V, current 60-80 mA. Electric quantity used was 100 coulomb per 10 mm of the diameter of the tumour. The time need to apply this amount of electricity was usually 15-20 minutes. The direct current yielded an electrolytic field. Negative charged ions in the field will go to anode area and vice versa. Hence, anode area became highly acidic (pH 1-2) and cathode area highly alkaline (pH 12-I4). The balance of electrolytes in tumours tissue was, thus, broken, which caused the death of tumour cells. The effective killing area around each needle is about 20 mm in diameter. Since it was noted in experimental studies that there was thrombosis ui the vessels due to the effect of direct current, EAT was applied to treat hemangioma. And it was successful.

RESULTS According the standard of therapeutic effectiveness set up by WHO, one year (short term) effective rates of 8I cases of malignant tumours were: CR (relieved) 42 cases (51.8 %), PR (partial relief) 31 cases (38.3 %), MR (mild relief of symptoms) 5 cases (6.2 %) and PD (ineffective) 3 cases (3.7 ' %). So, the total effective rate was CR + PR 90.1 % (73 cases). See table 4.

There were 4 cases died within one year due to brain metastasis. The long term effectiveness of the rest 77 cases of malignant tumours were: one year survival rate 95.1 % (77 cases), two year 80.2 % (65 cases), three year 61.7 % (50 cases), four year 45.7 % (37 cases) and five year 33.3 % (27 cases). See table 5.

Table 5 One to five year survival rates of 81 cases of malignant tumours

The effectiveness for 41 cases of benign tumours were: CR35 cases (85.4 %)‚ PR 4 cases (9.8 %) and NC (ineffective) 2 cases (4.9 %). AU of the 41 cases lived over five years. See table 6.

Table 6 Effectiveness of the treatment of4l cases of hemangioma