Electrochemotherapy…..A new treatment for tumors at Rainland Farm!

Rainland Farm Equine Clinic is excited to announce the recent addition of Electrochemotherapy to our treatment options for tumors. This form of cancer therapy was developed in France and has gained acceptance for the treatment of sarcoids and squamous cell carcinoma.

The therapy utilizes short intense electrical pulses to enhance cell uptake and toxicity of cytotoxic drugs; up to 80 times for Cisplatin. We at Rainland Farm have utilized Electrochemotherapy in combination with surgical laser debulking and have seen great results with single treatments, however, multiple treatments may be necessary depending on the size of the tumor. The treatment is tolerated well with the most common side effect being edema of the treatment area, however, brief general anesthesia is required for safety due to the electrical pulse. Tamzali, et al from Toulouse Veterinary School in France performed a retrospective study to evaluate the success of Cisplatin Electrochemotherapy treatments for sarcoids and found a 4 year non-recurrence rate of 99.5% was achieved for 194 individual tumors, and 97.9% for individual animals. Treatments ranged anywhere from 1-7 at 2 week intervals.

Please feel free contact us if you have questions on Electrochemotherapy or surgical laser options for your horse.