Cancer Ablation / Chemoembolization
Thermal Ablation of Tumors
Thermal ablation is a minimally invasive technique of destroying inoperable tumors located generally in the liver, kidney and lung or in bone. With the patient under anesthesia, an Interventional Radiologist inserts a probe, resembling a long needle, into the tumor using CT or ultrasound to guide the probe into perfect position. Once the probe is positioned, energy is used to generate either heat or cold to destroy the surrounding tumor. The probe is then removed and a small bandage is applied. The probe can be either Radiofrequency or Microwave heat energy. Cryotherapy involves freezing the tumor.
Following the procedure, almost all patients can return home the same day or the next morning. Any discomfort associated with the procedure is treated with oral pain medicine and usually improves rapidly, allowing the patient to return to normal activities within a day or two. Some patients may be fatigued or tired.
There are several benefits possible including shrinking large tumors to a size where surgery can be performed or to relieve pain and improve quality of life.
Targeted Hepatic Arterial Therapy and Chemoembolization of Liver Tumors
Chemoembolization is a minimally invasive palliative technique of delivering chemotherapy directly to liver tumors. This is usually performed for tumors that begin in the liver (hepatocellular carcinoma) or some tumors that spread to or metastasized in the liver, such as carcinoid tumors. Liver tumors are often resistant to traditional forms of chemotherapy. An angiographic catheter about the size of a spaghetti noodle is inserted into the artery in the upper thigh and directed to the artery supplying the tumor in the liver using x-ray guidance. The chemotherapy and an embolic agent are then delivered directly to the liver. The embolic agent blocks the blood supply so that the chemotherapy is not dispersed via the bloodstream and stays in the tumor longer.
This technique results in much greater concentrations of chemotherapy within the liver tumors compared with intravenous chemotherapy. The catheter is then removed and a small bandage is applied. Following the procedure, most patients remain in the hospital for one day. This procedure results in fewer side effects from chemotherapy, because it is concentrated in the liver and not in the rest of the body. Any discomfort from the procedure is treated with oral pain medicines. Most patients are able to return to normal activities within a few days.
How Chemoembolization Works
The liver is unique because it has two blood supplies. The portal vein provides 75% of the livers blood supply and the hepatic artery supplies the remaining 25%. Tumors that grow in the liver typically receive their blood supply from the hepatic artery making chemoembolization possible by injecting drugs into the artery feeding the tumor while sparing most of the healthy liver tissue that feeds from the portal vein.
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