Novel electrode designs for electrochemotherapy.

Direct current pulses for electrochemotherapy treatment are typically administered using two parallel plate electrodes that are placed on either side of the tumor. This simple design has produced high response rates (70 to 85%) in animal studies and in clinical trials. However, parallel plate electrodes are not suitable for all situations. This study describes five novel electrode designs and compares their effectiveness to a parallel plate design for treating melanoma tumors in mice. Results for the 2 x 2 needle array design showed 50% increases in doubling time and in complete response rate compared to the standard parallel plate electrode.