Chemoembolization in the Management of Liver Tumours

Chemoembolization in the Management of Liver Tumours

Liver is the largest internal organ in your body that helps in the process of digestion. When the healthy cells in the liver grow uncontrollably and forms a mass of cells, it is referred to as liver tumour. Liver tumour is classified into 3 categories namely, Hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma and angiosarcoma.

Functions of Liver

Liver is known to perform different functions in your body. The main functions of liver include:

• Cleanses your blood
• Regulates the supply of body fuel
• Produces essential body proteins that are required by your body
• Regulates the hormone balance
• Regulates the cholesterol levels
• Helps in supplying essential vitamins and minerals like iron and copper
• Produces bile which helps in removing the toxins from your body and helps in the process of digestion.

Liver Tumour Causes

There are different factors that are responsible for liver tumours. The most common causes of liver tumour include the following:

1. Anabolic steroids
2. Family history
3. Aflatoxins
4. Diabetes
5. Immunity
6. Obesity
7. Smoking

Liver Tumour Symptoms

While suffering with liver tumour, your body starts showing visible symptoms like,

1. High fever
2. Weight loss
3. Abdominal pain
4. Nausea
5. Vomiting
6. Back pain
7. Fatigue
8. Jaundice

Chemoembolization for Liver Tumour

Chemoembolization is a combination of chemotherapy and embolization to treat liver cancer. During chemoembolization the blood supply to the tumour is cut off with the synthetic materials called embolic agents that are injected into the blood vessels along with chemotherapeutic agents.

Chemoembolization in liver tumour is beneficial and it can also be used to treat cancers that have spread to other parts in your body.  Chemoembolization can be used as a standalone therapy to treat liver cancer or it can be combined with surgery, radiation therapy or radiofrequency ablation.

Chemoembolization Process- Liver Tumour Treatment

Chemoembolization attacks and cures the cancer cells in two ways. In the initial step it delivers a very high dose of chemotherapy or anti-cancer drugs directly in the tumour. It delivers a chemotherapeutic agent in the liver tumour without exposing your entire body to the effects of the chemotherapeutic drug.

In the next step of chemoembolization, the blood supply to the tumour is completely stopped thus; the oxygen and nutrient supply is stopped by inhibiting the growth of liver tumour cells. Liver has two blood supplies – a hepatic artery and a large portal vein.  A normal receives around 75% of the blood through portal veins and only 25 % through the hepatic artery.

During liver tumour, liver receives the complete blood supply through hepatic artery. Chemotherapeutic drugs are generally injected through hepatic artery to directly attack the tumour cells. When this hepatic artery is blocked the blood is no longer supplied to the tumour cells but, the liver continues to get the blood supply through portal vein.

If you are suffering with liver tumour and want to cure it through chemoembolization process, then contact Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala for liver tumour treatment in Hyderabad.  You can consult the oncologist in Hyderabad for liver tumour. Dr. Abhilash Sandhyala is one of the best oncologists in Hyderabad for liver tumour treatment.