BACKGROUND: A new method of cancer treatment called electroporation therapy (EPT) which uses pulsed electric fields in combination with a chemotherapeutic agent is being developed to treat human pancreatic tumors. Such a combination has been found to increase the cytotoxic effect of the drug to tumor cells. METHODS: Human pancreatic tumors (Pan-4-JCK) were implanted subcutaneously onto nude mice. The animals were treated with EPT using bleomycin, mitomycin C or carboplatin as a single agent, and their effect on tumor growth was monitored over a period of 89 days. RESULTS: The tumors treated with either the drug or pulse alone showed increased tumor growth. However, tumors treated with EPT using any one of the three drugs showed significant to complete regression of tumors. Among the three drugs used, the order of efficacy was: bleomycin >> mitomycin C > carboplatin. CONCLUSIONS: These results are sufficient to warrant limited clinical trials of EPT for pancreatic cancers.