TACE — chemoembolization
Delivering chemotherapy into a tumour's own artery.
Trans-arterial chemoembolisation (TACE) treats liver tumours through the tumour's own artery. Chemotherapy is delivered directly into the tumour and its blood supply is blocked, so healthy liver is largely spared.
What patients call it
Chemotherapy delivered into a liver tumour
At a glance
- What it does
- Delivering chemotherapy into a tumour's own artery.
- Used for
- Hepatocellular carcinoma · Liver secondaries · Tumour bridging before transplant
- How it is done
- Angiography identifies the liver tumour and its feeding artery. → A microcatheter is precisely navigated into the feeding branch. → Drug-eluting beads (treatment) are released directly into the tumour bed.
- Recovery
- Procedure: Day 0 - Selective navigation and treatment. Overnight admission for monitoring. · Day 1-5: Discharged from hospital. Post-embolization syndrome managed.
Used for
- — Hepatocellular carcinoma
- — Liver secondaries
- — Tumour bridging before transplant
Symptoms & Causes
Symptoms
- — Abdominal pain
- — Unexplained weight loss
- — Loss of appetite
- — Jaundice
Common Causes
- — Primary liver cancer (HCC)
- — Metastatic cancer from colon or breast
- — Chronic hepatitis infection
Diagnosis & Treatment
How it is diagnosed
- — Liver function tests
- — Tumour markers (AFP)
- — CT or MRI of the liver
The Procedure
- — Access via the groin or wrist artery.
- — Selective navigation to the tumour artery.
- — Infusion of chemotherapy-laden beads.
- — Blocking the artery to trap the drug in the tumour.
Recovery & Benefits
- Procedure: Day 0 - Selective navigation and treatment. Overnight admission for monitoring.
- Day 1-5: Discharged from hospital. Post-embolization syndrome managed.
- 1 Month: Follow-up imaging (CT/MRI) and normal life resumes.
- 3 Months: Decision on further treatment based on imaging surveillance.
Procedure sequence
- 01
Angiography identifies the liver tumour and its feeding artery.
- 02
A microcatheter is precisely navigated into the feeding branch.
- 03
Drug-eluting beads (treatment) are released directly into the tumour bed.
- 04
The tumour blood supply is cut off by embolization.
- 05
The tumour shrinks as the treatment takes effect.
Questions patients ask
How many TACE sessions are needed?+
It depends on tumour size, number and response. Treatment is usually repeated at intervals guided by follow-up scans.