Patients from 105+ countries have trusted us
Join hundreds of happy patients who choose the right treatment and care.
Get A Quote
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is one of the newer advanced methods of treating liver cancer via a physical procedure that doesn't require surgery or lengthy hospital stays (it does take place in a hospital setting). During TACE therapy, several different medications have been used (depending on the type of TACE you are receiving) to kill your liver tumor cells, and an embolic (i.e., blood-clotting) agent is injected into the blood vessels of the tumor; this will cut off the blood supply and ultimately kill the liver tumor cells. Chemotherapy and TACE, as we mentioned above, are both chemotherapy options used for the treatment of cancer, but they are two very different ways of delivering the chemotherapy drug directly into the tumor.
Contrary to the "traditional" method of chemotherapy that is delivered via the bloodstream, TACE uses a concentrated amount of drugs, which are combined with the embolic material, that are placed directly onto or into the tumor(s) and are extremely effective at targeting the tumor site. TACE has the unique ability to allow for the administration of far greater quantities of chemotherapeutic agents than conventional chemotoxic treatments.
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is a Treatment modality to treat the effects of cancer on the liver as well as other different types of cancers that have metastasized to the liver. TACE has its own unique risk factors associated with treatment related complications in the patient population who may already have preexisting medical conditions (eg. Kidney disease, Diabetes) that may complicate recovery from treatment. Recovery from TACE is typically much quicker compared to other cancer treatment modalities and has the potential for better than average outcomes without affecting the normal function of the Liver. Most patients diagnosed with liver cancer can expect to recover completely following TACE therapy with a significant improvement in their quality of Life.
What is TACE?
Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a procedure that uses chemotherapy (the treatment of cancer) along with a special type of surgery called embolization. TACE treats tumors, primarily in the liver, but has also been shown to be effective for other organs. It is an invasive treatment that does not require an incision and is usually done by an interventional radiologist in a hospital or outpatient clinic.
TACE involves injecting chemotherapy directly into the blood vessel providing supply to the cancerous growth (tumor) and injecting an embolic agent into that blood vessel to block blood flow to the tumor, which helps trap the chemotherapy within the tumor.
Standard TACE
Standard TACE is conventional Chemo-Embolization where the Chemo agent and Embolic agent were both mixed together, and then they were directly injected into the blood vessels that feed the tumor. The drugs to treat the cancer are delivered at a high concentration to the cancer cells while preventing blood flow to the tumor.
TACE with Drug Eluting Beads
Small beads that are loaded with chemo agents are infusing into the blood vessels of the tumors in TACE with Drug Eluting Beads. The beads slowly feed the drug into the tumor over an extended period of time.
Radio-Embolization
Radio-embolization is a TACE type of procedure using small radioactive granular chemicals that are infused into the liver to occlude small blood vessels adjacent to the tumor. The radioactive chemicals emit radiation directly to the tumor area to destroy the tumor cells.
Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE)
Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE) is a procedure that uses small particles of radioactive material (similar to that used in radioembolization) which are injected into the arteries feeding tumours with a greater degree of accuracy and reduced impact on non-cancerous liver cells.
Bland Embolization
Bland Embolization does not use any chemotherapy as part of its process like traditional approaches to TACE do, the aim of this approach is to cause cancerous tumours to shrink by blocking off their blood supply through embolic agents (e.g., particles/coils).
Combination Therapy
Combination Treatments are being explored for some patients as methods for treating liver tumours by means of TACE or a variety of other treatment modalities including surgical excision, ablation therapy, and/or targeted therapy based on tumour staging and classification.
The overview of the TACE process is as follows.
Anesthesia: To perform TACE, the patient must be under anesthesia so they will not feel any pain or irritation during this procedure.
Catheter Insertion: A small incision is made on the thigh and a catheter, or thin flexible tube, is inserted into the patient's blood vessel at that location. This catheter is then guided through the vascular system in order to reach the area surrounding the liver where there are blood vessels supplying blood flow for the tumor.
Angiography: X-rays can then be taken after a contrast dye has been infused through the catheter into the vascular system around the tumor.
Chemotherapy Infusion: Chemotherapy drugs are directly administered into the tumor's vascular system to give high doses of chemotherapy directly around the cancer cells in order to destroy them effectively.
Embolisation Procedures: After the chemotherapy drug is administered through the catheter, an embolic agent is delivered into the targeted area via catheter; this agent blocks blood vessels, thus decreasing blood flow to the tumor.
Examination of Tumour Treatment: The medical staff checks to see how well the tumour responds to treatment and if the tumour does not affect healthy hepatic function by using X-ray imaging throughout the treatment.
Catheter Removal Post-Embolisation: After treatment, the catheter is removed with pressure applied to the area where the catheter was inserted to prevent bleeding.
Recovery: Most patients experience no post-embolisation complications; however, patients may call for medication treatment due to such complications as pain, nausea and/or fever.
In India, the price range for TACE treatment is between $3700 and $5000. The type of TACE procedure utilised in the treatment may have an impact on the cost. Additionally, the cost may change based on each patient's difficulties.
A group of medical professionals, including surgeons, liver specialists, oncologists, and interventional radiologists, will assess the patient's condition and perform tests such as these before prescribing TACE:
Depending on the results of the tests and the angiography report, doctors may suggest certain chemotherapy medications.
TACE has a variety of applications for the treatment of conditions including:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC)
Liver metastases from colorectal cancer
Cholangiocarcinoma
Neuroendocrine tumors of the liver
Hepatic angiosarcoma
Hepatic hemangioma
Hepatic adenomas
Hepatic sarcomas
Metastatic ocular melanoma
Metastatic breast cancer to the liver
The following are some of the main risk factors associated with trans arterial chemoembolization (TACE):
Liver Dysfunction
Patients with severely impaired liver function, such as those with advanced cirrhosis, are at increased risk for higher rates of complications from TACE.
Kidney Dysfunction
Patients with impaired kidney function also carry a greater risk due to the use of contrast dye during TACE.
Allergies
Patients may experience an allergic response to either the contrast dye or the medications that are administered during TACE.
Bleeding Disorders
Patients who have bleeding disorders or are taking blood thinning medications are at a higher risk for developing bleeding complications as a result of TACE.
Infection
There is a potential for infection at the site of insertion or inside the liver after a TACE procedure.
Post-Embolization Syndrome
Most patients experience flu-like symptoms, abdominal pain, and fever after undergoing TACE. These complications can be uncomfortable and bothersome.
Liver Damage
Temporary liver damage could occur following TACE which creates a risk for individuals with pre-existing liver conditions.
Nausea and Vomiting
Some patients may develop nausea and vomiting after undergoing TACE which could result in dehydration.
Damage to Nearby Organs
In rare cases, the embolic material that is used during TACE could potentially block the blood supply to nearby organs.
Join hundreds of happy patients who choose the right treatment and care.
Get A Quote