Palliative Luminal Treatment of Colorectal Cancer Using Endoscopic Calcium-Electroporation: First Case Series from the United Kingdom

Background/Objectives: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the most common gastrointestinal (GI) malignancy, the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality, and the third most prevalent tumor. Around 20% of cases are metastatic or inoperable at diagnosis, often requiring palliative treatment, which may not be feasible in frail patients. Calcium-electroporation, a less invasive alternative, induces cell death via apoptosis, necrosis, and pyroptosis. This study is the first in the United Kingdom, to evaluate the efficacy and safety of endoscopic calcium-electroporation in palliating distal CRC. Methods: Frail patients with inoperable left-sided CRC were included. Diagnosis and staging followed standard guidelines, while frailty was assessed using performance status (PFS), Charlson comorbidity index (CCI), and American Society of Anesthesiologists (ASA) score. Calcium-electroporation was performed via flexible endoscopy usually under sedation, with symptom relief, quality of life (QoL), survival, and adverse events (AE) monitored. Results: Sixteen patients (median age 84.5) underwent 36 treatments with electroporation over 28 months (November 2022 to March 2025). The incidence of common symptoms was rectal bleeding (75%), constipation (25%), and pain (75%). Nine patients had metastases, and three had failed conventional treatment. Symptomatic relief and improved QoL occurred in 86.7%, with transfusion/iron infusion needs reduced by 91.7%. Median cancer-specific survival was 10 months, with a 94% survival rate. No device-related AE was recorded. One patient died after 11 months due to disease progression while 2 patients passed away from other medical conditions.Conclusions: Endoscopic calcium-electroporation is a safe, palliative option effective for tumour reduction and symptomatic relief in frail CRC patients unfit for conventional therapies.