One of the minimally invasive treatments you have for liver cancer is called chemoembolization. This minimally invasive treatment is used in cases where the spread of cancer is considerable and you cannot treat it with surgery or radiofrequency ablation. This treatment is also used in areas where the tumor location prevents other forms of treatment due to the risk of serious injury or death.
Chemoembolization works by taking a high dose of chemotherapy and delivering it directly to the location of the organ. This blocks the blood supply and embolizes the cancer cells. This is done by using the femoral artery and guiding the catheter through the groin and up to where the liver cancer resides. This allows a higher dose to be used directly, and achieve better results, because you are not circulating the chemotherapy throughout the body. Systemic chemotherapy can cause harm to the body that isn’t typically experienced when a person is using localized treatments, such as chemoembolization.
Chemoembolization does require a few days in the hospital. The reason is it does drain the energy body’s energy levels and can cause a person to become winded. Chemoembolization can help to treat most types of cancer involving the liver.
Make sure to speak to your doctor to determine if chemoembolization is right for you. Your physician will know what your unique condition is and what viable options there are for treatment.