Oncology Procedures

Tumors need a blood supply, which they actively generate, to feed themselves and grow. As vascular (blood vessel) experts, interventional radiologists are uniquely skilled in using the vascular system to deliver targeted treatments via catheter throughout the body. In treating cancer patients, interventional radiologists can attack the cancer tumor from inside the body without medicating or affecting other parts of the body using embolization and radiofrequency heat.

Embolization is a well-established interventional radiology technique that is used to treat trauma victims with massive bleeding, to control hemorrhage after childbirth, to decrease blood loss prior to surgery and to treat tumors. In treating cancer patients, interventional radiologists use embolization to cut off the blood supply to the tumor (embolization) or combine this technique with chemotherapy to deliver the cancer drug directly to the tumor (chemoembolization).

Additionally, interventional radiologists can use imaging to guide them directly to the tumor through the skin to administer radiofrequency heat to "cook" and kill the cancer cells (radiofrequency ablation).

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