Electrochemotherapy and electroporation-based treatments have been investigated across a range of solid tumour types, anatomical regions and treatment settings. The 2,820 publications of the oncology corpus are divided into 22 application areas. The volume and type of literature differ markedly between indications; this page groups the areas by their electrochemotherapy literature maturity and states the maturity of the other clinical methods present in each area separately.
The threshold for “broader clinical literature” requires at least 15 clinical studies or case series, case reports excluded, plus at least one randomized trial, systematic review or guideline. The clinical publication figure in the strip uses a wider definition and includes case reports: it counts the primary clinical studies, case series and case reports among the 2,820 publications of the oncology corpus.
Human oncology indications are clustered by tissue group and the remaining areas by their kind. The two bars measure different things: the left one the set's literature volume, the right one what proportion of that literature is clinical. Sets are ordered by volume, so the left column shortens downward; the right column not following it is the finding itself.
| Set | Areas | Literature volume | Clinical share | ECT literature maturity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Basic Science, Method and DeviceGeneral Principles & Biophysics Devices & Clinical Trials | 2 | 1007 | 6%64 | 2 Exploratory literature |
| Deep Organ TumoursLiver Tumours Pancreatic Cancer Breast Cancer Colorectal Cancer Cholangiocarcinoma Lung & Peribronchial Tumours Oesophageal & Upper Gastrointestinal Tumours | 7 | 785 | 44%349 | 2 Early clinical literature 5 Exploratory literature |
| Skin & Superficial TumoursSkin & Cutaneous Tumours Malignant Melanoma Kaposi Sarcoma | 3 | 427 | 53%225 | 1 Broader clinical literature 1 Early clinical literature 1 Exploratory literature |
| Urogynaecological TumoursProstate & Urological Tumours Vulvar Cancer Ovarian Tumours Endometrial Cancer | 4 | 195 | 52%102 | 1 Early clinical literature 3 Exploratory literature |
| Veterinary OncologyVeterinary Oncology | 1 | 157 | 18%28 | 1 Exploratory literature |
| Musculoskeletal & CNSBone & Soft Tissue Sarcomas Brain Tumours | 2 | 111 | 24%27 | 1 Early clinical literature 1 Exploratory literature |
| Head, Neck & OrbitHead & Neck Tumours | 1 | 77 | 58%45 | 1 Early clinical literature |
| Benign Clinical ApplicationsVascular Malformations | 1 | 38 | 71%27 | 1 Exploratory literature |
| Special IndicationsElectrochemotherapy in Metastatic Disease | 1 | 23 | 43%10 | 1 Exploratory literature |
Areas are grouped by literature maturity by default; switch the view to group them by tissue group instead. The fourth figure on a card (in maturity count) has a different denominator from the first three, and the two cannot be used interchangeably. The definitions are in the Method and Interpretation section at the end of the page.
At least 15 clinical studies or case series plus at least one randomized trial, systematic review or guideline
ECTBroader clinical173IREExploratory5Calcium EPEarly clinical12Gene ETExploratory4
This is the indication group with the broadest literature for electrochemotherapy.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability47Objective response33Complete response33Symptom control and palliation22
At least four clinical studies or case series; no randomized evidence or guideline-level consensus yet
ECTEarly clinical124IREExploratory6Calcium EPExploratory8Gene ETExploratory24
Cutaneous and subcutaneous melanoma metastases make up the tumour type most intensively studied with electrochemotherapy.
Outcomes in abstractsObjective response27Safety and tolerability26Complete response19Survival16
ECTEarly clinical87IREExploratory8Calcium EPExploratory3Gene ETExploratory7
Chest wall recurrences and skin metastases of breast cancer are among the most extensively studied indications for electrochemotherapy.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability15Complete response15Objective response14Local tumour control13
ECTEarly clinical63IREExploratory6Calcium EPExploratory1Gene ETExploratory1
Tumours in the head and neck lie close to critical anatomical structures, and in recurrent disease the surgical and radiotherapy options are often exhausted.
Outcomes in abstractsObjective response17Safety and tolerability14Symptom control and palliation13Quality of life11
ECTEarly clinical47IREBroader clinical203Calcium EPExploratory1Gene ETExploratory2
The liver is an organ where both electroporation regimes have been studied.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability31Survival27Local recurrence25Complete response12
ECTEarly clinical29IREExploratory1
In vulvar cancer, electrochemotherapy has been investigated as an organ-preserving option where surgical morbidity is high and in recurrent disease.
Outcomes in abstractsSymptom control and palliation16Quality of life9Objective response8Local tumour control7
ECTEarly clinical39IREExploratory13Calcium EPExploratory1Gene ETExploratory3
In bone metastases and soft tissue sarcomas, electrochemotherapy has been studied for pain palliation, local control and preoperative volume reduction.
Outcomes in abstractsObjective response7Safety and tolerability7Local tumour control5Local recurrence4
Meets none of the thresholds above; the area is still exploratory
ECTExploratory245IREPreclinical211PFAExploratory3Calcium EPExploratory23Gene ETExploratory77
The biophysics of electroporation, the cellular and tissue effects of pulse parameters, drug transport mechanisms and treatment planning are gathered in this area.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability13Complete response6Objective response5Symptom control and palliation4
ECTExploratory121IREExploratory4Calcium EPExploratory4Gene ETExploratory18
Electrochemotherapy has long been studied clinically in veterinary oncology, on spontaneously arising tumours in client-owned animals.
Outcomes in abstractsNo outcome mentioned in any abstract
ECTExploratory22
Clinical series exist for both classic and HIV-associated forms.
Outcomes in abstractsComplete response10Safety and tolerability5Local tumour control4Objective response4
ECTExploratory34IREBroader clinical229Calcium EPExploratory3
In locally advanced pancreatic cancer, encasement of the coeliac and mesenteric vessels blocks surgery and thermal ablation.
Outcomes in abstractsSurvival75Safety and tolerability32Local recurrence20Symptom control and palliation18
ECTExploratory24IREExploratory8Calcium EPExploratory9Gene ETExploratory1
In colorectal tumours electroporation has been studied in distinct contexts: liver metastases, local recurrence and endoscopically accessible lesions.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability6Complete response3Quality of life3Local recurrence1
ECTExploratory7ElectrosclerotherapyEarly clinical28
Non-oncological electroporation applications are kept on separate pages and do not enter this index.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability11Cosmetic and functional outcome4Quality of life3Objective response2
ECTExploratory13IREExploratory7Gene ETExploratory2
The role of electrochemotherapy in metastatic disease concerns how the contribution of a local method to systemic disease should be defined.
Outcomes in abstractsSurvival3Objective response2Complete response2Symptom control and palliation1
ECTExploratory11IREBroader clinical117Calcium EPExploratory4Gene ETExploratory2
The search for focal therapy in the prostate is shaped by the aim of preserving urinary and sexual function.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability29Quality of life21Cosmetic and functional outcome21Local recurrence11
ECTExploratory4IREEarly clinical17
Treatment options in biliary tract tumours are limited and preserving the bile duct is critical.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability5Local recurrence3Quality of life3Symptom control and palliation3
ECTExploratory2IREExploratory1Calcium EPExploratory3
In oesophageal and gastric tumours electroporation has been studied through endoscopic access.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability5Objective response3Symptom control and palliation3Survival1
ECTExploratory7IREExploratory30Gene ETExploratory1
In the central nervous system, electroporation is investigated both for tumour ablation and for increasing drug passage by transiently opening the blood-brain barrier.
Outcomes in abstractsNo outcome mentioned in any abstract
ECTExploratory4IREExploratory5Gene ETExploratory1
Device and system descriptions, practice networks and pulse-generator measurement studies are gathered under this heading.
Outcomes in abstractsSafety and tolerability1
ECTExploratory4IREExploratory11
Lung and peribronchial sites are technically demanding because of the electrical conductivity of air-filled tissue and respiratory motion.
Outcomes in abstractsSymptom control and palliation1Complete response1Local tumour control1Local recurrence1
ECTExploratory7IREExploratory2
Electroporation in ovarian tumours has been studied through peritoneal spread and preclinical models; the corpus holds no clinical series for this area.
Outcomes in abstractsNo outcome mentioned in any abstract
IREExploratory2
Electroporation-based approaches in endometrial cancer are represented by only a handful of records in the corpus; the area is exploratory.
Outcomes in abstractsNo outcome mentioned in any abstract
Every publication is assigned to a single application area derived from the source folder structure and its citation fields. Areas are gathered into seven tissue groups by shared anatomical region or clinical context.
Literature maturity is computed from the study-type distribution of the area's publications using automatic thresholds. The clinical count feeding the threshold is narrow: randomized, prospective and retrospective clinical studies and case series are counted; case reports are not. A single case report therefore cannot lift an area to the clinical tier. Systematic reviews and guidelines are also outside this count; together with randomized trials they satisfy the separate “strong publication” condition.
The “clinical publications” figure used on the cards and in the strip above is a separate and wider count: primary clinical studies, case series and case reports, that is 877 publications in the oncology corpus. Systematic reviews and guidelines are excluded from it as well. The threshold count and this count do not share a name and cannot stand in for one another; the full threshold table is on the Literature Map.
The word “clinical” in the tissue-group table uses this same definition and includes case reports; the threshold count behind the literature maturity column is narrower and does not count case reports.
The first three figures on a card (publications, clinical, preclinical) share one denominator: all records of the area within the oncological scope. The fourth (in maturity count) is the subset of those that passed the validation ledger, and literature maturity is computed from that subset alone. The two quantities have different denominators and cannot be used interchangeably.
Non-oncological records do not enter this directory; they are gathered in their own areas (cardiac pulsed-field ablation, non-oncological IRE and DNA vaccination by electroporation). Where a non-oncological record remains inside an oncological area, it is excluded from the card figures and counted only on the area's own page. The two figures are identical in every area in this build.
Literature maturity labels are derived from the volume of literature. They do not indicate clinical use, guideline endorsement, reimbursement coverage or regulatory status in any country; they are not a formal GRADE assessment and cannot be used for treatment decisions. An area being at the “broader clinical literature” level means many clinical publications exist in that area; it does not mean the treatment is effective, superior or approved. Likewise “preclinical literature” does not mean that an area has no human data, only that the weight of the literature lies in preclinical studies.
Every area carries a separate literature maturity and publication count for each clinical method present in the corpus; the method chips on each card give them side by side. Grouping, the badge and the card edge come from the area's electrochemotherapy record, since the portal's subject is electrochemotherapy; where no electrochemotherapy record exists the first scored method is used and the badge names it. The publication, clinical and preclinical figures on each card, and the distribution bar, are area totals covering every method together; the split by method is in the method chips and in the method cards on the area page.
“Outcomes mentioned in abstracts” is an automatic match of outcome names appearing in the titles and abstracts of the area's clinical publications; where a record has no abstract, the opening paragraph of the PDF is scanned in its place. The figure beside a domain is the number of abstracts mentioning that outcome, that is the number of clinical publications containing it; it is not a measure of efficacy, a response rate or an indicator of success. The denominator is the “clinical” figure on the card: the area's clinical publication count (primary clinical studies, case series and case reports). Only the 4 most frequently mentioned domains are shown on a card; the dictionary holds 10 outcome domains. A mention in an abstract does not mean the outcome was measured or that it was favourable; the name may equally appear in a rationale, a discussion of methods or a negative finding.
The full list of outcome domains, the spellings each one matches, the search patterns and the absence of negative matching rules are published in the what this count measures, and what it does not section of the Mechanisms page; that section also gives the separate counts in ECT and in IRE records.
The portal is intended for scientific and educational information only. Indication, device approval and drug licensing vary between countries.
Electroporation-based but not tumour therapy, and therefore excluded from the indication directory, the anatomical explorer and literature maturity tables above. Kept in the corpus as context.
DNA Vaccination by Electroporation8 publications
Cardiac Pulsed-Field Ablation146 publications
Nanosecond Pulsed Electric Field (nsPEF)61 publications
Non-Oncological Electroporation21 publications
To see how the evidence behind an indication distributes by study type: Literature Map →
