Hepatic radioembolisation is a curative or palliative medical treatment used to treat certain liver tumours, such as hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver metastases from other cancers. This procedure combines interventional radiology and internal radiotherapy to directly target cancer cells in the liver.
Hepatic radioembolisation is a medical procedure that involves administering radioactive microspheres directly into the blood vessels supplying the tumour lesion.
The following are the general steps in the liver radioembolisation procedure:
After the procedure, the patient is monitored for 4-6 hours to detect any adverse effects or complications.
Patients may experience side effects such as fatigue, mild abdominal pain, nausea or fever for a few days after the procedure. These symptoms are generally temporary and can be managed with medication.
Subsequent imaging tests, such as PET/CT or MRI, may be carried out to assess the effectiveness of the treatment by observing the reduction in tumour size.
It is important to note that hepatic radioembolisation is a specialised procedure that requires thorough assessment and medical expertise. The benefits and risks must be carefully discussed between the patient and the medical team before any decision is taken.
Liver radioembolisation, also known as selective internal radiotherapy, is a medical procedure used to treat certain liver tumours and liver metastases from other cancers. This technique combines radiotherapy and embolisation to target tumour cells in the liver more specifically.
As with any medical procedure, there may be reactions to the procedure itself, such as bleeding, infection or allergic reactions to the products used during the procedure. In addition, hepatic complications may rarely occur, such as worsening of liver failure in patients whose liver function is already compromised.
After the interventional radiologist has inserted a hepatic arterial catheter, the nuclear physician injects radioactive beads to destroy the tumour.
The nuclear physician in conjunction with the interventional radiologist.
The decision to carry out liver radioembolisation depends on a number of factors, including the type of liver tumour, its stage, the patient's general state of health and other medical considerations. The indication should be discussed for each patient at the oncology consultation and multidisciplinary meeting.
