In this Article

• 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?
• Chemo Infusion and Chemoembolization of Liver Index
• Find a local Oncologist in your town

What about mixing the chemotherapy with lipiodol?

In Japan, the chemotherapeutic agents are mixed with lipiodol. The idea is that since the tumor cells preferentially take up lipiodol, they would likewise take up the chemotherapy. This Japanese technique has not yet been validated in head-to-head comparisons with conventional TACE.

What are the benefits of TACE?

In one large study involving several institutions in Italy, chemoembolization did not seem to be beneficial. Patients who did not undergo TACE lived as long as patients who received TACE, even though the tumors were more likely to shrink in size in patients who were treated. Does this mean that TACE or intra-arterial chemotherapy does not work? Maybe, maybe not.

Studies in Japan, however, have shown that TACE can downstage HCC. In other words, the tumors shrank enough to lower (improve) the stage of the cancer. From the practical point of view, shrinking the tumor creates the option for surgery in some of these patients. Otherwise, these patients had tumors that were not operable (eligible for operation) because of the initial large size of their tumors. More importantly, these same studies showed an improvement in survival in patients whose tumors became considerably smaller. In the U.S., trials are underway to see whether doing TACE before liver transplantation increases patient survival as compared to liver transplantation without TACE.

It is safe to say that TACE or intra-arterial chemoinfusion are palliative treatment options for HCC. This means that these procedures can provide relief or make the disease less severe. However, they are not curative (do not result in a cure). Fewer than 50% of patients will have some shrinkage in tumor size. Further, they can be used only in patients with relatively preserved liver function. The reason for this is that these procedures can lead to liver failure in individuals with poor liver function.

To read more about Hepatocellular Carcinoma (HCC), please read the MedicineNet.com Liver Cancer (Hepatocellular Carcinoma) article.