Arterial Chemotherapy Infusion of the Liver
Chemoembolization of the Liver (TACE)

Medical Author: Tse-Ling Fong, MD
Previous Medical Editor: Leslie J. Schoenfield, MD, PhD
Medical Reviewer: Jay W. Marks, MD

• Why is the chemotherapy injected into the hepatic artery?
• What are the side effects and benefits of arterial chemotherapy infusion?
• Just how is arterial chemotherapy infusion done?
• What happens to the patient after this procedure is done?
• How does chemoembolization differ from arterial chemotherapy infusion?
• How does chemoembolization compare with arterial chemotherapy infusion?
• What about mixing the chemotherapy with lipiodol?
• What are the benefits of TACE?

Arterial chemotherapy infusion of the liver and chemoembolization of the liver (transarterial chemoembolization or TACE) are similar procedures that are used for the treatment of liver cancers. In both procedures, chemotherapy is injected into the hepatic (liver) artery that supplies the liver tumor. The difference between the two procedures is that in chemoembolization, additional material is injected to block (embolize) the small branches of the hepatic artery.

Arterial Chemotherapy Infusion of the Liver

Why is the chemotherapy injected into the hepatic artery?

The normal liver gets its blood supply from two sources: the portal vein (about 70%) and the hepatic artery (30%). Primary liver cancer, also known as hepatoma or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) gets its blood exclusively from the hepatic artery. Making use of this fact, investigators have delivered chemotherapy agents selectively through the hepatic artery directly to the HCC tumor. The theoretical advantage is that higher concentrations of the agents can be delivered to the tumors without subjecting the patients to the systemic toxicity of the agents.

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