Oncology Services
Interventional Oncology
Interventional radiologists can perform a series of imaging procedures to treat cancers directly at tumor sites. Your interventional radiologist will discuss which of these four options is best for you.
- Chemoembolization: Chemoembolization delivers chemotherapy directly to the location of the cancer through image-guided injections directly into the blood vessels feeding a tumor.
- Cryotherapy: This procedure freezes and eliminates any diseased tissue in the body. A CT or MRI scan is used to locate and guide physicians to the diseased cells. Once located, liquid nitrogen or argon gas is injected to freeze the cells.
- Radioembolization: Radioembolization blocks blood flow to a tumor. In this procedure, tiny radiation pods are placed in the patient's blood vessel. These pods block blood flow to the cancer location while delivering radiation directly to the cancer cells.
- Microwave ablation: Like radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation kills tumor cells by heating the tissue around needles placed through the skin of a sleeping patient.
Subcutaneous Chest Port Placement
A chest port, or portacath, is a small medical appliance that is placed in a pocket beneath the skin. A catheter connects the port to a vein. Under the skin, the port has a diaphragm through which drugs can be injected and blood samples can be drawn many times. This is done usually with less discomfort than a more typical "needle stick."
