Embolization for Liver Cancer

The hepatic artery delivers oxygen-rich blood from the heart to the liver. Tumors need the oxygen and nutrients supplied by blood to grow. Embolization stops blood from flowing to the tumor by injecting substances that plug the hepatic artery. Meanwhile, the healthy liver cells continue to get oxygen and nutrients from the portal vein, which brings blood to the liver from the intestines. In most cases, the procedure only stops the blood flow temporarily, but it can sometimes block the hepatic artery permanently.

Like ablation, embolization is a good option for certain tumors that cannot be removed by surgery, especially if the cancer has not spread to other parts of the body.

• Hepatic artery embolization - The doctor threads a catheter (thin, flexible tube) into an artery in the inner thigh and up into the hepatic artery. When the catheter reaches the liver, the doctor injects small particles to plug the artery.
  

Embolization is sometimes combined with chemotherapy or radiation therapy:

• Chemoembolization - The doctor fills the embolization particles with chemotherapy drugs before injecting them into the liver through the catheter. The particles block the flow of blood to the liver through the hepatic artery. Once the blood stops flowing, the tumor is soaked in a high concentration of chemotherapy drugs for a long time because no blood comes into the tumor to wash the drugs out. As a result, the tumor cells die very quickly. The procedure usually takes about 2 or 3 hours.
• Radioembolization - The doctor injects small radioactive beads or oils into the hepatic artery through the catheter. These beads or oils release small amounts of radiation into the tumor without affecting healthy cells.

This content has been reviewed and approved by Myo Thant, MD.