Dr. Murali examines a radical approach that accesses and delivers direct chemotherapy to inoperable tumours bringing new hope to cancer patients.
Malignancies of various organs are treated by a combination of techniques, which include direct surgical resection, administration of chemotherapy through peripheral veins and radiotherapy.

The response for these treatments varies depending on the tumors and its histological grading.

Tough on tumours, kind on patients
Routine IV chemotherapy has not been found to be very helpful for patients with liver tumours. Some patients are not fit for surgical resection either. Luckily alternative forms of non-surgical treatment are available.

Here, we direct a catheter (tube) to the blood vessel that’s supplying the tumour with blood and administer a chemotherapy drug directly into the tumor, in combination with an oily agent called lipiodol. Then, we block the blood vessel.

Starving the tumour
The advantages of this treatment is that by blocking the blood supply, the tumor is starved. Further, the chemotherapeutic agent within the tumor also starts attacking the tumor cells. Because of a very high local dose, the toxic effect of the chemotherapeutic drug is reduced. As it’s applied directly, it does not attack the surrounding tissue. If required, this “chemoembolisation” is repeated multiple times.

Cooking the tumour
Radio frequency tumor ablation: In this technique special needles are placed in the liver tumor and the tumour is burnt using RF waves.

This technique of cooking the tumor and burning them is done under CT or ultrasound guidance. The advantage of this technique is that it is minimally invasive and does not require open surgery.

RF ablation is used to treat Liver tumors (2) Inoperable lung tumors (3) Osteoid osteoma of bones etc.

RF ablation is used along with systemic chemotherapy or chemoembolisation in liver.

Direct alcohol injections:
Absolute alcohol is another potent agent which can be directly given to the liver tumors, along with chemo embolisation or radio frequency ablation.

Dr. K. Murali, MD.P.D.C.C.
Interventional Radiologist