Cancer Institute

For those patients who are not surgical candidates, one less invasive option is a procedure called chemoembolization. Embolization is the process of injecting a foreign substance into the tumor to stop the flow of blood. The lack of blood deprives the tumor of needed oxygen and nutrients, eventually causing cell death. The tumor's blood supply is stopped with small pieces of material that have been saturated with chemotherapy drugs. Once the blood flow has been blocked, the tumor is soaked in a very high concentration of drugs for a prolonged period of time. 

Chemoembolization is not a curative procedure but can slow the growth of the tumors in many cases.
Medical centers may differ as to which types of cancer will be considered for this therapy. The traditional candidates are those with hepatocellular carcinoma, but many other cancer types have been managed with this technique. Chemoembolization is most beneficial to patients whose disease is limited to the liver.

The chemoembolization procedure takes place in the radiology department of the hospital. A small catheter is inserted into the femoral artery (located in the groin) and advanced under X-Ray guidance into the artery that supplies the liver. The embolic material and chemotherapeutic drugs are then injected through the catheter into the liver tumor. The procedure usually lasts 2 - 3 hours.  Side effects are typically mild and may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, fever, and fatigue.  The overall risk of the procedure is related to your general underlying health and will be discussed at your visit.

Below is an example of a patient with a sizeable liver tumor. In this image, the liver is the large light gray organ on the left half of the picture. The tumor is the round streaked area within the liver, towards the top of the image. A red stripe has been placed across the middle of the round tumor, showing a diameter of 8.85cm. This patient went on to receive five chemoembolization treatments.

The image below was taken after three years and five chemoembolizations. The treated tumor again has a red line across its center, now measuring 4.2cm. Chemoembolization succeeded in shrinking the tumor for this patient.

Each patient's tumors will respond differently. Some shrink, some are held at a stable size, and some progress despite this therapy. The goal of chemoembolization is to prolong the survival of a patient with liver cancer.

Consult your local oncologist or contact our office at 412.359.6738 or 866.680.0004 to determine whether this therapy may be right for you.