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Interventional
Oncology
The treatment
of cancer today requires the use of many modalities. Surgery, chemotherapy,
hormone therapy, and radiation therapy are well known. Interventional
Oncology is a new field for cancer treatment that uses minimally
invasive local procedures to target tumors while preserving surrounding
tissue and decreasing recovery time for patients.
Interventional
Oncology Techniques include:
Embolization
Embolization is utilized to decrease blood flow to a tumor. It may
be used prior to surgical removal of the tumor to greatly decrease
blood loss during surgery. During the embolization procedure, a
tiny plastic catheter is guided into the artery supplying blood
to the tumor under
x-ray visualization. Tiny plastic particles are then injected to
block the blood flow.
Chemo
Embolization
Chemo Embolization starts with the above procedure. A mixture of
chemotherapy drugs is injected along with the small particles. The
particles act to keep the chemotherapy drugs in the tumor and allow
much higher doses to be delivered directly to the tumor than what
could be done with standard chemotherapy.
Radiofrequency
Ablation
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA): RFA is the most common method of
destroying a tumor with heat. It may also be used with embolization.
During the procedure the ablation needle is advanced through the
skin under ultrasound or CAT scan guidance and positioned in the
tumor. An electric current is then applied to the needle to cause
heating of the tumor around the needle, resulting in tumor death.
The needle is then removed and a small bandage is placed. There
are no sutures. Most patients are discharged the following morning.
Microsphere
Therapy
Microshpere therapy is similar to chemo embolization and is currently
used for the treatment of liver cancer. A tiny catheter is again
directed into the tumor blood supply and tiny micro-sphere particles
are inected. These micr-spheres are radio-active. Each particle
that is trapped in the vascular bed of the liver tumor delivers
radiation that penetrates only about 2.5mm of tissue, minimizing
effects upon normal healthy tissue. This targeted radiation has
its effects over a period of about two weeks.
Team
Service Members
Under the direction of Dr.
Christopher Mehall, a fellowship-trained and board-certified
Vascular & Interventional Radiologist on staff with Marquette
General Health System and as part of the Upper Michigan Cancer Center
team at Marquette General Hospital, is dedicated to offering the
best in collaborative services along with a full team of medical
oncologists, radiation oncologists and oncologic surgeons, to provide
the best treatment and care plan possible for cancer patients at
MGH.
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