Dr. Facchini leads the VIR team in a liver radio-embolization procedure, one of the minimally invasive options for liver cancer treatments.

Often Y-90 therapy is used in combination with other modalities. One of the advantages of Y-90 treatment is the relatively low incidence of serious side effects and the fact that 95% of treatments are completely outpatient. The most common side effect is fatigue for several days. A full discussion of risks, benefits and alternatives for liver cancer treatments would take place at a patient’s consultation appointment.

Chemoembolization

For liver cancer treatments, hemoembolization offers an alternative to patients with primary or metastatic liver tumors that are unable to be surgically removed. This procedure involves placing a very small tube or catheter (photo) into the artery supplying the liver. The small vessels in the liver are then partially blocked with small particles (Drug eluting beads, or D.E.B.) carrying a mixture of chemotherapy. This technique delivers the chemotherapy into the tumor, so that it remains in the mass, greatly increasing the effective dose of chemotherapy while at the same time decreasing the toxicity to the rest of the body.

A tiny catheter used to deliver tumor-killing agents into the liver and other organs.

Thermal ablation

One of the newer techniques for liver cancer treatments, is being used by interventional oncologists for cancer treatment in Illinois and elsewhere to destroy cancer deposits deep in the body without invasive surgery. A thin needle is placed into a tumor using ultrasound guidance. Using either freezing technology, microwave energy, or radiofrequency energy, the

tumor is destroyed. This technique is used for relatively small tumors in certain organs. We use these methods to treat tumors of the liver, kidney, spine and lung, most commonly.

(Left) RFA probe entering a liver tumor. (Center) Energy-emitting tines emerge from the probe, inside the tumor. (Right) 3d Heat energy killing the tumor.