Chemoembolisation is another minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer. Chemoembolisation can be used when there is too much tumour to treat with RFA, when the tumour is in a location that cannot be treated with RFA, or in combination with RFA or other treatments.
Chemoembolisation delivers a high dose of cancer killing drug (chemotherapy) directly to the organ while depriving the tumour of its blood supply by blocking, or embolising, the arteries feeding the tumour.
Using imaging for guidance, the interventional radiologist threads a tiny catheter up the femoral artery in the groin into the blood vessels supplying the liver tumour.
The embolic agents keep the chemotherapy drug in the tumour by blocking the flow to other areas of the body. This allows for a higher dose of chemotherapy drug to be used, because less of the drug is able to circulate to the healthy cells in the body. Chemoembolisation usually involves a hospital stay of two to four days. Patients typically have lower than normal energy levels for about a month afterwards.
Chemoembolisation is a palliative, not a curative, treatment. It can be extremely effective in treating primary liver cancers, especially when combined with other therapies. Chemoembolisation has shown promising early results with some types or metastatic tumours.
Advances in interventional radiology make it possible to kill tumour cells without harming the surrounding tissue. Two procedures, tumour ablation and chemoembolisation, offer hope for patients whose tumours are inoperable. Using their skill in imaging to guide a needle through the skin and into the tumour. Interventional Radiologists apply heat to kill the tumour. These doctors also deliver a high dose of cancer-killing drug directly to the site while depriving the tumour of its blood supply. Tumour ablation and chemoembolisation are just two of many minimally invasive, targeted treatments offered by Interventional Radiologists.
Know your options. Today you have non-surgical choices and direct access to these specialists.