Holmdel, NJ – April 4, 2018 – Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center is proud to announce that it has expanded services to offer transcatheter arterial chemoembolization, also known as transarterial chemoembolization, or TACE. TACE is an image-guided, non-surgical procedure used to treat malignant lesions in the liver. Performed in the Interventional Radiology department, an X-ray guided catheter delivers chemotherapy medication and embolization materials into the blood vessels in the liver that lead to the tumor.
“The liver is unique because it has two blood supplies,” says Peter Doss, M.D., director of Interventional Radiology at Bayshore Medical Center. “Normal liver cells are most often fed by branches of the portal vein, however cancer cells in the liver are usually fed by branches of the hepatic artery. Blocking the branch of the hepatic artery feeding the tumor helps to kill off cancer cells, but leaves most of the healthy liver cells unharmed.”
Like with most health care procedures, not everyone is a candidate for TACE. Only individuals with good liver function, without fluid in the abdomen or problems with the portal vein are eligible. The procedure itself lasts approximately one to two hours.
“A tiny catheter is inserted into the arteries through the groin or wrist and we use live X-ray images to direct the catheter into the small artery leading directly to a tumor,” says Dr. Doss. “We can then administer chemotherapy directly to the tumor cells and follow it with small particles that occlude the arteries and shut off the tumor’s blood supply.”
Following the procedure, most patients spend one night in the hospital for monitoring and to control any nausea they may experience. Once released, patients are advised to avoid strenuous activity for approximately 10 days and can return to a normal level of activity in one to three weeks.
“This procedure is another tool in the ever-expanding fight against cancer and has been shown to improve survival rates and quality of life,” says Dr. Doss. “Unfortunately, TACE isn’t a cure for cancer, but it can be a very beneficial procedure for our community members living with liver cancer. I am privileged to be able to offer it to those in need, close to their homes.”
For more information about TACE, or other procedures offered by the Interventional Radiology Department at Bayshore Medical Center, please call 732-962-7269.
About Hackensack Meridian Health Bayshore Medical Center
Bayshore Medical Center is a 211-bed not-for-profit community hospital located in Holmdel, New Jersey, providing health care programs and services in all major medical disciplines, including: emergency medicine, cardiac catheterization, surgical services, wound care, sleep services, diagnostic imaging, women's services with digital mammography, as well as a designated primary stroke center. Its’ Center for Bariatrics is one of the most comprehensive in the region offering free informational sessions, pre-surgical education and evaluation, personal guidance through the surgical process, nutritional support, exercise components and support groups. For more information, visit www.bayshorehospital.org.
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