How Is It Treated?
The interventional radiologists at Advanced Radiology use leading edge procedures to treat cancer. These treatments are minimally invasive and precisely targeted by using radiology imaging techniques.
Y-90 Radioembolization is liver cancer treatment that uses a combination of radiation therapy and embolization—when blood and oxygen flow is blocked. This does not cure the cancer, but helps slow the growth and progress of the disease. Our interventional radiologists use live X-rays to deliver radiation to the liver tumor using radioactive particles or microspheres filled with a radioactive isotope called Yttrium-90. This blocks the supply of blood to the tumor and the radiation kills the cancer cells and shrinks the tumor.
Chemoembolization is a procedure to treat liver cancer—both tumors that originate in the liver, and metastic tumors that have spread from the liver to other locations like the colon or breast. Using X-ray imaging for guidance, our radiologists inject chemotherapy drugs directly into the artery that supplies blood to the liver tumor. Next, the artery is embolized, or blocked off, to deprive the tumor of oxygen and allow for an increased chemotherapy dose since the drugs are trapped in the liver and little can circulate throughout the body. Although chemoembolization is not a cure, it does help to shrink the tumor.
Thermal ablation is a minimally invasive technique to treat solid cancer tumors. Special probes are used to “burn” cancers. Imaging like CT, MRI or ultrasound is used to guide the probe to the exact location of the tumor. The high temperature destroys cancer cells and helps reduce the size of the tumor or slow its growth.
How Do I Prep For The Procedure?
Interventional oncology procedures require an overnight stay in the hospital.
Do not eat or drink anything after midnight (12:00 a.m.) the night before your exam. No breakfast or water in the morning. No aspirin or blood thinners to be taken 5 days prior to the procedure.
Bring all medications with you to the hospital.
What Happens After The Procedure?
Some interventions may cause temporary discomfort or side effects, managed with medications as needed. The effectiveness of the intervention is often assessed through follow-up imaging studies to monitor tumor response. Patients will continue to work closely with their oncology team for ongoing care and treatment plans. The goal of interventional oncology is to provide effective cancer treatment with minimal impact on the patient’s overall well-being.
