Close
Open
Share on Facebook
Twitter
Email
 
Notice: Users may be experiencing issues with displaying some pages on stanfordhealthcare.org. We are working closely with our technical teams to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. Thank you for your patience.
 

COVID-19 Resources »      Vaccine Update »      Visitor Policy »

Menu
Search
Menu
Search
  • Doctors, Clinics & Locations, Conditions & Treatments
  • Patients & Visitors
  • MyHealth
  • Billing
  • Insurance
  • Medical Records
  • Support Groups
  • Financial Assistance
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Locations and Parking
  • Visitor Policy
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Video Visits
  • International Patients
  • Contact Us
View All Information for Patients & Visitors »
We are available to assist you 24/7.
650-498-3333
GuestServices@stanfordhealthcare.org


View the changes to our visitor policy »

 

View information for Guest Services »

New to MyHealth?

Manage Your Care From Anywhere.

Access your health information from any device with MyHealth.  You can message your clinic, view lab results, schedule an appointment, and pay your bill.

ALREADY HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Activate Account

DON'T HAVE AN ACCESS CODE?

Create a New Account

NEED MORE DETAILS?

Learn More about MyHealth »
Learn More about Video Visits »

MyHealth for Mobile

Get the iPhone MyHealth app »
Get the Android MyHealth app »

WELCOME BACK

Forgot Username or Password?
Need Help?

Clear

Chemoembolization

  • About
  • About
Overview
Conditions Treated
Overview
Conditions Treated

Chemoembolization

Chemoembolization is a minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer that can be used when the tumor is not amenable to treatment by surgery or by radiofrequency ablation (RFA).

Chemoembolization delivers and traps a high dose of cancer-killing drug (chemotherapy) directly in the tumor while depriving the tumor of its blood supply by blocking, or "embolizing," the arteries feeding the tumor. Using real time X-ray imaging for guidance, the interventional radiologist threads a tiny catheter up the femoral artery in the groin into the blood vessels supplying the liver tumor. Using the catheter ensures treatment of the tumors while sparing other areas of the liver and the rest of the body. The embolic agents trap the chemotherapy drug in the tumor. This allows for a high dose of chemotherapy drug to be used, because less of the drug is able to spill into the tumors' surroundings.

Chemoembolization usually involves a hospital stay of less than a day. Patients typically have lower than normal energy levels for a few weeks afterwards.

Chemoembolization is a palliative, not a curative, treatment. It can be very effective in treating primary liver cancers (hepatocellular carcioma or hepatoma), and in some cases, can result in reduction of tumors sufficiently to qualify a patient for transplantation. Chemoembolization has also shown promising results with some types of metastatic tumors. The individual materials used in this treatment are FDA approved and this technique has been performed for decades, but the treatment itself is not specifically approved by the FDA.

Chemoembolization facts:

  • State-of-the-art treatment for unresectable primary liver cancer (hepatoma or hepatocellular carcinoma), and for select metastatic tumors including neuroendocrine carcinoma.
  • Minimal hospital stay, usually overnight
  • May require repeated treatments
  • Experienced team of doctors and nurses at Stanford Hospital offering this treatment since the 1980s
  • Multidisciplinary collaboration with emphasis on teamwork with referring physicians and other specialties at Stanford Health Care, which include liver transplantation, surgical oncology, medical oncology, and radiation oncology.
  • Active research program investigating new drugs, new embolic agents, and new imaging techniques.
Interventional Oncology - Chemoembolization - DVD Series, Video 3
Interventional Oncology - Chemoembolization - DVD Series, Video 3 Play Video | 11:27
Previous Section Next Section

INTERESTED IN AN ONLINE SECOND OPINION?

The Stanford Medicine Online Second Opinion program offers you easy access to our world-class doctors. It’s all done remotely and you don’t have to visit our hospital or one of our clinics for this service. You don’t even need to leave home!

Visit our online second opinion page to learn more.

Chemoembolization
Chemoembolization, the injection of anti-cancer drugs into blood vessels supplying blood to a tumor, reduces tumor resources and results in cellular death.
chemoembolization liver cancer treatment treatment for liver cancer

Conditions Treated

  • Find a Doctor
  • Find Conditions & Treatments
  • Find a Stanford clinic
  • For Patients & Visitors
  • Billing
  • Protections Against Surprise Medical Bills
  • Insurance
  • Hospital Check-in
  • Contact Us
  • Video Visits
  • Send a Greeting Card
  • Get a Second Opinion
  • COVID-19 Resource Center
  • Behavioral Standards
  • Make a Gift
  • About Us
  • Quality & Safety
  • Annual Report
  • 300 Pasteur Drive Renewal Program
  • Stanford Health Care Now
  • For Healthcare Professionals
  • Referring Physicians
  • Nursing
  • Allied Healthcare Professionals
First Responders
  • Newsroom
  • Careers
  • Volunteering
  • Vendors
  • University HealthCare Alliance
  • Stanford Health Care – ValleyCare
  • Stanford Medicine
  • Stanford Children's Health
  • Stanford University
  • Legal
  • Privacy
  • Code of Conduct
  • |   Notice of Nondiscrimination      ©2021 Stanford Health Care. All Rights Reserved
Home
Close
Doctors
Clinics & Locations
Conditions & Treatments
Clinical Trials
MyHealth Login

Patients & Visitors
Billing
Insurance
Financial Assistance
Medical Records
Contact Us
Video Visits
Get a Second Opinion
COVID-19 Resource Center
Healthcare Professionals
Referring Physicians
Nursing
Allied Healthcare
About Us
Quality & Safety
Careers
Newsroom
Make a Donation
Stanford Health Care Now
Close