Feasibility of bone-targeted electrochemotherapy for palliation of bone tumors in dogs and cats.

Electrochemotherapy shows early promise for bone tumor palliation in dogs and cats, but prospective studies are needed.

Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a minimally invasive locoregional treatment that combines reversible electroporation with cytotoxic agents (typically bleomycin or cisplatin) to enhance intracellular drug uptake, thereby amplifying local cytotoxic effects. While ECT is well established for cutaneous tumors in veterinary medicine, this narrative review — supplemented by an original 4-case series — evaluates its translational potential for bone tumors in dogs and cats. Preclinical data demonstrate effective tumor ablation within osseous tissue while preserving extracellular matrix integrity and supporting bone tissue regeneration, suggesting a function-preserving mechanism distinct from conventional surgical or ablative approaches. Human clinical evidence reports consistent analgesic benefit, meaningful local tumor control, and an acceptable safety profile, including challenging presentations such as radiotherapy-resistant metastatic epidural spinal cord compression. In the veterinary context, evidence remains sparse, limited to isolated case reports and the small case series presented here, partly attributable to the lack of dedicated bone-targeting ECT technologies in veterinary settings. The authors conclude that ECT shows promise as a palliative and potentially function-preserving option for select bone tumors in companion animals, particularly where limb-sparing or pain palliation is a priority. However, prospective controlled studies in veterinary populations are necessary to define patient selection criteria, optimal protocols, and long-term outcomes before broader clinical adoption can be recommended.

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