Interventional Oncology

Chemoembolization places chemotherapy and synthetic materials called embolic agents into a blood vessel feeding a cancerous tumor to cut off the tumor’s blood supply and trap the chemotherapy within. It is most often used to treat liver cancer but may also be used in patients whose cancer has spread to other areas of the body. Chemoembolization may be used as a standalone treatment or in combination with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy or radiofrequency ablation.

For additional information regarding interventional radiology, please visit https://www.sirweb.org/patient-center/cancer/cancer-treatment–chemoembolization/

A drainage catheter is a thin tube that is inserted through the skin into an area where unwanted fluid has accumulated. The catheter enables the fluid to drain to drainage bag. These catheters can be inserted into most any area of the body.

Microwave ablation (MWA) is the treatment using  image guidance to place a needle through the skin into a tumor.  In MWA, microwaves are created from the needle to create a small region of heat. The heat destroys the cancer cells. MWA are effective treatment options for patients who might have difficulty with surgery or those whose tumors are less than one and a half inches in diameter.

For additional information regarding interventional radiology, please visit https://www.sirweb.org/patients/cancer/cancer-treatment–microwave-ablation/

A vascular access procedure inserts a flexible, sterile plastic tube called a catheter into a blood vessel to allow blood to be drawn from or medication to be delivered to a patient’s bloodstream over an extended period. They may be used for intravenous (IV) antibiotic treatment, chemotherapy, long-term IV feeding and blood transfusions. Vascular access spares patients the stress of repeated needle sticks and provides a painless way to draw blood or deliver medication.