Chemoembolisation

Chemoembolisation  treatment aims to get rid of the cancer by giving chemotherapy| directly into the affected part of the liver and by cutting off the blood supply to the tumour (a process known as embolisation).

Chemotherapy drugs are injected directly into the tumour in the liver. The chemotherapy drugs will be mixed with a substance called lipiodol that helps the chemotherapy stay in the liver for longer. This makes the treatment more effective.

Chemoembolisation is carried out in the x-ray department at the hospital. You will usually need to stay in hospital overnight and possibly longer. The treatment can be repeated several times.

Chemoembolisation is sometimes combined with radiofrequency ablation| and your doctor can explain if this would be helpful for you.

Chemoembolisation can cause side effects such as sickness, pain and a raised temperature. You will be given anti-sickness (antiemetic) drugs and painkillers to help control any side effects.

How chemoembolisation is done

Before the chemoembolisation you will be given a local anaesthetic and possibly a mild sedative to make you feel relaxed. The doctor then puts a fine tube called a catheter into a main blood vessel in your groin (femoral artery). The catheter is passed along the femoral artery until it reaches the main blood vessel that carries blood to the liver (hepatic artery).

A mixture of chemotherapy and lipiodol is then injected into the liver through the catheter. Sometimes the doctor will also inject something to block the blood flow to the tumour, such as a gel or some tiny plastic beads. Blocking the blood supply (embolisation) will starve the tumour of oxygen, which can help to destroy it.