{"status":"ok","message-type":"work","message-version":"1.0.0","message":{"indexed":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T09:03:17Z","timestamp":1789722197771,"version":"4.0.1"},"reference-count":44,"publisher":"Frontiers Media SA","license":[{"start":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T00:00:00Z","timestamp":1789689600000},"content-version":"vor","delay-in-days":0,"URL":"https:\/\/creativecommons.org\/licenses\/by\/4.0\/"}],"content-domain":{"domain":["frontiersin.org"],"crossmark-restriction":true},"short-container-title":["Front. Vet. Sci."],"abstract":"<jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Introduction<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>Electrochemotherapy (ECT) is a novel therapy used as an effective and safe treatment modality for both cats and dogs with various tumor types. This retrospective study aimed to evaluate the disease-free interval (DFI) for cats with incompletely excised or marginally excised sarcomas treated with a bleomycin-only ECT protocol.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Methods<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A single institution retrospective evaluation was performed to identify cats as having undergone surgical removal of their sarcoma tumor followed by ECT from March 2015 to July 2024. In the absence of a standardized grading system for feline sarcomas, cats were stratified into high-grade and low-grade groups with primary emphasis on mitotic count. Median DFI was subsequently evaluated for each group.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Results<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>A total of 66 cats were identified and were divided into a high-grade group, which consisted of 43 cats treated with an average of 2 ECT treatments, and a low-grade group, which consisted of 23 cats treated with a single ECT treatment. Intravenous bleomycin was injected followed by a subcutaneous injection of bleomycin along the surgical scar in a 2:1 ratio. The surgical scar, as well as 2\u202fcm of tissue surrounding the scar was then treated with electroporation with the following parameters: 8 biphasic waveforms; pulses duration of 100\u202f\u03bcs; pulse repetition frequency of 1\u202fHz and pulse amplitude 1,200\u202fvolts\/cm. Median DFI for the cats in the low-grade group was not reached whereas the median DFI for cats within the high-grade group was 389\u202fdays. This was statistically significant between the two groups.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>\n                  <jats:sec>\n                    <jats:title>Conclusion<\/jats:title>\n                    <jats:p>This is the first study to evaluate a bleomycin-only ECT protocol in cats. Bleomycin-only ECT improved DFI compared to surgery alone for cats with incompletely or marginally excised sarcomas.<\/jats:p>\n                  <\/jats:sec>","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2026.1902206","type":"journal-article","created":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T08:34:36Z","timestamp":1789720476000},"update-policy":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/crossmark-policy","source":"Crossref","is-referenced-by-count":0,"title":["A retrospective study on cats with incompletely or marginally excised sarcomas treated with a bleomycin-only electrochemotherapy protocol: 66 cases"],"prefix":"10.3389","volume":"13","author":[{"given":"Kaitlan","family":"Hovis","sequence":"first","affiliation":[{"name":"Bridge Animal Referral Center (BARC)","place":["Edmonds, WA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Quincy","family":"Souquet","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bridge Animal Referral Center (BARC)","place":["Edmonds, WA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Shawn","family":"Ferguson","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bridge Animal Referral Center (BARC)","place":["Edmonds, WA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Jeffrey N.","family":"Bryan","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Department of Veterinary Medicine and Surgery, University of Missouri-Columbia","place":["Columbia, MO, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]},{"given":"Chelsea","family":"Tripp","sequence":"additional","affiliation":[{"name":"Bridge Animal Referral Center (BARC)","place":["Edmonds, WA, United States"]}],"role":[{"vocabulary":"crossref","role":"author"}]}],"member":"1965","published-online":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"reference":[{"key":"ref1","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"168","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X20942393","article-title":"Prognostic factors and proposed grading system for cutaneous and subcutaneous soft tissue sarcomas in cats, based on a retrospective study","volume":"23","author":"Dobromylskyj","year":"2021","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref2","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1016\/j.neo.2024.101104","article-title":"Transcriptomic and proteomic profiling identifies feline fibrosarcoma as clinically amenable model for aggressive sarcoma subtypes","volume":"60","author":"Weber","year":"2025","journal-title":"Neoplasia (United States)"},{"key":"ref3","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"409","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X13483239","article-title":"Injection site-associated sarcoma in the cat: treatment recommendations and results to date","volume":"15","author":"Ladlow","year":"2013","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref4","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1425","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.1994.205.10.1425","article-title":"Comparison of fibrosarcomas that developed at vaccination sites and at nonvaccination sites in cats: 239 cases (1991-1992)","volume":"205","author":"Hendrick","year":"1991","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref5","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"97","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.239.1.97","article-title":"Radical excision with five-centimeter margins for treatment of feline injection-site sarcomas: 91 cases (1998-2002)","volume":"239","author":"Phelps","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref6","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"51","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1740-8261.1998.tb00325.x","article-title":"Radiation therapy and surgery for fibrosarcoma in 33 cats","volume":"39","author":"Cronin","year":"1998","journal-title":"Vet Radiol Ultrasound"},{"key":"ref7","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"54","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1476-5829.2008.00173.x","article-title":"A retrospective analysis of radiation therapy for the treatment of feline vaccine-associated sarcoma","volume":"7","author":"Eckstein","year":"2009","journal-title":"Vet Comp Oncol"},{"key":"ref8","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"547","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.2001.218.547","article-title":"Treatment with a combination of doxorubicin, surgery, and radiation versus surgery and radiation alone for cats with vaccine-associated sarcomas: 25 cases (1995-2000)","volume":"218","author":"Bregazzi","year":"1995","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref9","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"742","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.231.5.742","article-title":"Evaluation of radiotherapy alone or in combination with doxorubicin chemotherapy for the treatment of cats with incompletely excised soft tissue sarcomas: 71 cases (1989-1999)","volume":"231","author":"Hahn","year":"2007","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref10","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"669","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1740-8261.2009.01601.x","article-title":"Radiotherapy and surgery for feline soft tissue sarcoma","volume":"50","author":"Mayer","year":"2009","journal-title":"Vet Radiol Ultrasound"},{"key":"ref11","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"65","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X18758883","article-title":"Comparison of definitive-intent finely fractionated and palliative-intent coarsely fractionated radiotherapy as adjuvant treatment of feline microscopic injection-site sarcoma","volume":"21","author":"Rossi","year":"2019","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref12","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.5326\/JAAHA-MS-7549","article-title":"AAHA oncology guidelines for dogs and cats","volume":"62","author":"Christensen","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Am Anim Hosp Assoc"},{"key":"ref13","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"826","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1939-1676.2008.0117.x","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy in veterinary oncology","volume":"22","author":"Cemazar","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"key":"ref14","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"45","DOI":"10.4067\/S0719-81322019000200045","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy in the treatment of neoplasms in dogs and cats","volume":"51","author":"Rangel","year":"2019","journal-title":"Austral J Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref15","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.1111\/vco.12980","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy in dogs and cats\u2013a review","volume":"22","author":"Ramos","year":"2024","journal-title":"Vet Comp Oncol"},{"key":"ref16","first-page":"4585","article-title":"Adjuvant electrochemotherapy for the treatment of incompletely resected canine mast cell tumors","volume":"26","author":"Spugnini","year":"2006","journal-title":"Anticancer Res"},{"key":"ref17","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1093\/jvimsj\/aalaf081","article-title":"Outcome of dogs with low- and high-grade mast cell tumors treated with electrochemotherapy","volume":"40","author":"Ojeda","year":"2026","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"key":"ref18","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"407","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1939-1676.2011.0678.x","article-title":"Evaluation of cisplatin as an electrochemotherapy agent for the treatment of incompletely excised mast cell tumors in dogs","volume":"25","author":"Spugnini","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"key":"ref19","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/20551169221074231","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy as a treatment option for feline nasal melanoma","volume":"8","author":"Little","year":"2022","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg Open Rep"},{"key":"ref20","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"68","DOI":"10.2478\/raon-2020-0014","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy in treatment of canine oral malignant melanoma and factors influencing treatment outcome","volume":"54","author":"Tellado","year":"2020","journal-title":"Radiol Oncol"},{"key":"ref21","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"53","DOI":"10.3390\/vetsci8030053","article-title":"A retrospective multicentric study of electrochemotherapy in the treatment of feline nasal planum squamous cell carcinoma","volume":"8","author":"Sim\u010di\u010d","year":"2021","journal-title":"Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref22","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X241248043","article-title":"Description of outcome and adverse events in 21 cats with locally advanced nasal planum squamous cell carcinoma treated with electrochemotherapy","volume":"26","author":"Ferrer-Jorda","year":"2024","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref23","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"240","DOI":"10.1111\/vco.12882","article-title":"Canine squamous cell carcinoma: electrochemotherapy association with surgery and correlation with overall survival","volume":"21","author":"de Castro Cunha","year":"2023","journal-title":"Vet Comp Oncol"},{"key":"ref24","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X251347152","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy is effective in the treatment of early-stage feline cutaneous squamous cell carcinoma","volume":"27","author":"Foo","year":"2025","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref25","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1368","DOI":"10.1111\/jvim.13586","article-title":"Electroporation enhances bleomycin efficacy in cats with periocular carcinoma and advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head","volume":"29","author":"Spugnini","year":"2015","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"},{"key":"ref26","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"117","DOI":"10.1016\/j.tvjl.2007.08.011","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy for the treatment of squamous cell carcinoma in cats: a preliminary report","volume":"179","author":"Spugnini","year":"2009","journal-title":"Vet J"},{"key":"ref27","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"291","DOI":"10.1177\/1098612X13507071","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy with intravenous bleomycin injection: an observational study in superficial squamous cell carcinoma in cats","volume":"16","author":"Tozon","year":"2014","journal-title":"J Feline Med Surg"},{"key":"ref28","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"100","DOI":"10.4314\/ovj.v11i1.15","article-title":"Evaluation of electrochemotherapy in the management of apocrine gland anal sac adenocarcinomas in dogs: a retrospective study","volume":"11","author":"Valenti","year":"2021","journal-title":"Open Vet J"},{"key":"ref29","doi-asserted-by":"crossref","first-page":"1617","DOI":"10.1038\/bjc.1997.606","article-title":"First clinical trial of cat soft*tissue sarcomas treatment by electrochemotherapy","volume":"76","author":"Mir\u2019","year":"1997","journal-title":"Br J Cancer"},{"key":"ref30","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"234","DOI":"10.1111\/vco.12462","article-title":"Soft tissue sarcoma in dogs: a treatment review and a novel approach using electrochemotherapy in a case series","volume":"17","author":"Torrigiani","year":"2019","journal-title":"Vet Comp Oncol"},{"key":"ref31","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"88","DOI":"10.4314\/ovj.v9i1.15","article-title":"Adjuvant electrochemotherapy with bleomycin and cisplatin combination for canine soft tissue sarcomas: a study of 30 cases","volume":"9","author":"Spugnini","year":"2019","journal-title":"Open Vet J"},{"key":"ref32","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"267","DOI":"10.4314\/ovj.v10i3.4","article-title":"Combination of bleomycin and cisplatin as adjuvant electrochemotherapy protocol for the treatment of incompletely excised feline injection-site sarcomas: a retrospective study","volume":"10","author":"Spugnini","year":"2020","journal-title":"Open Vet J"},{"key":"ref33","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"375","DOI":"10.1007\/s00280-006-0281-y","article-title":"Intraoperative versus postoperative electrochemotherapy in high grade soft tissue sarcomas: a preliminary study in a spontaneous feline model","volume":"59","author":"Spugnini","year":"2006","journal-title":"Cancer Chemother Pharmacol"},{"key":"ref34","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1397592","DOI":"10.3389\/fvets.2024.1397592","article-title":"Case report: complete clinical remission of feline progressive histiocytosis after multimodal treatment including electrochemotherapy","volume":"11","author":"de Sena","year":"2024","journal-title":"Front Vet Sci"},{"key":"ref35","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"330","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1748-5827.2010.00913.x","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy treatment for bilateral pleomorphic rhabdomyosarcoma in a cat","volume":"51","author":"Spugnini","year":"2010","journal-title":"J Small Anim Pract"},{"key":"ref36","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"2736","DOI":"10.3390\/ani12202736","article-title":"Feline soft tissue sarcomas: a review of the classification and histological grading, with comparison to human and canine","volume":"12","author":"Dobromylskyj","year":"2022","journal-title":"Animals (Basel)"},{"key":"ref37","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"311","DOI":"10.1111\/vco.12677","article-title":"Veterinary cooperative oncology group\u2014common terminology criteria for adverse events (VCOG-CTCAE v2) following investigational therapy in dogs and cats","volume":"19","author":"LeBlanc","year":"2021","journal-title":"Vet Comp Oncol"},{"key":"ref38","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1193","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.232.8.1193","article-title":"Analysis of prognostic factors associated with injection-site sarcomas in cats: 57 cases (2001-2007)","volume":"232","author":"Romanelli","year":"2008","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref39","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"58","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.2000.216.58","article-title":"Prognosis for presumed feline vaccine-associated sarcoma after excision: 61 cases (1986-1996)","volume":"216","author":"Hershey","year":"2000","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref40","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"473","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1740-8261.2002.tb01036.x","article-title":"Preoperative radiotherapy for vaccine associated sarcoma in 92 CATS","volume":"43","author":"Kobayashi","year":"2002","journal-title":"Vet Radiol Ultrasound"},{"key":"ref41","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1582","DOI":"10.2460\/javma.2001.219.1582","article-title":"Use of surgery and electron beam irradiation, with or without chemotherapy, for treatment of vaccine-associated sarcomas in cats: 78 cases (1996-2000)","volume":"219","author":"Cohen","year":"2001","journal-title":"J Am Vet Med Assoc"},{"key":"ref42","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"152","DOI":"10.1186\/1479-5876-9-152","article-title":"Electrochemotherapy with cisplatin enhances local control after surgical ablation of fibrosarcoma in cats: an approach to improve the therapeutic index of highly toxic chemotherapy drugs","volume":"9","author":"Spugnini","year":"2011","journal-title":"J Transl Med"},{"key":"ref43","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"1","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1476-5829.2007.00142.x","article-title":"Cisplatin: a review of toxicities and therapeutic applications","volume":"6","author":"Barabas","year":"2008","journal-title":"Vet Comp Oncol"},{"key":"ref44","doi-asserted-by":"publisher","first-page":"29","DOI":"10.1111\/j.1939-1676.1987.tb01983.x","article-title":"Cisplatin toxicity in cats","volume":"1","author":"Knapp","year":"1987","journal-title":"J Vet Intern Med"}],"container-title":["Frontiers in Veterinary Science"],"original-title":[],"link":[{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1902206\/full","content-type":"unspecified","content-version":"vor","intended-application":"similarity-checking"}],"deposited":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]],"date-time":"2026-09-18T08:34:37Z","timestamp":1789720477000},"score":1,"resource":{"primary":{"URL":"https:\/\/www.frontiersin.org\/articles\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1902206\/full"}},"subtitle":[],"short-title":[],"issued":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"references-count":44,"alternative-id":["10.3389\/fvets.2026.1902206"],"URL":"https:\/\/doi.org\/10.3389\/fvets.2026.1902206","relation":{},"ISSN":["2297-1769"],"issn-type":[{"value":"2297-1769","type":"electronic"}],"subject":[],"published":{"date-parts":[[2026,9,18]]},"article-number":"1902206"}}