There are a variety of minimally invasive image guided techniques we now use to treat cancer or to aid in the treatment of cancer.
Here we place a needle through the skin directly into a tumour using ultrasound or CT to show us where to go. We then deliver extreme heat or cold down the needle to burn the tumour from the inside. We usually treat tumours in the liver, lung or kidney but are advancing to treat tumours in the pancreas and elsewhere in the body. Patients are referred to us by our medical and surgical colleagues. Ablation is usually performed under general anaesthesia but can often be done as a day case procedure to allow quick recovery.
Here we insert a needle through the skin under ultrasound guidance directly into the main vessel which supplies the liver with blood. We then inject glue, beads or tiny metal coils to block off the blood supply to the side of the liver which contains tumour. This causes this side of the liver to shrink and the opposite side to grow which allows surgeons to remove the cancerous side of the liver without putting the patient into liver failure. Patients for this procedure are referred to us by our hepatobiliary surgical colleagues. The procedure can be performed under local anaesthetic but often we keep patients overnight on a ward for close observation and monitoring.
If a tumour is very large or has an extensive blood supply, we can insert a needle into an artery (usually in the groin) and pass a tiny tube (catheter) up through the aorta and into the artery that supplies the tumour with blood. We can then inject glue or tiny beads, particles or tiny metal coils into the arteries supplying the tumour which blocks the blood supply. Due to a lack of blood the tumour shrinks and has less blood in it, making it easier to remove by traditional open surgery. Patients for this procedure are referred to us by various surgical specialties and can be performed under local anaesthetic. Patients usually stay overnight on a ward after the procedure for close observation and monitoring.
This uses the same technique as tumour embolisation but once we get to the artery supplying the tumour we inject tiny plastic beads coated in chemotherapy. The beads get “stuck” in the tumour and slowly deliver chemotherapy directly into the tumour. This reduces the numerous side effects from traditional chemotherapy. Patients for this procedure are referred to us by our gastroenterology or oncology colleagues. The procedure is performed under local anaesthetic and sedation and patients stay overnight on the ward following the procedure for close observation and monitoring.
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