Transarterial chemoembolization as a palliative treatment for primary and secondary liver cancers: the 2013-2017 cohort of the Pilsen University Hospital
Abstract
Primary liver tumors, ie mainly hepatocellular and cholangiocellular carcinoma, have an ever-increasing incidence in the Czech Republic. Of the secondary liver tumors, metastases of colorectal cancer are the most common, which are also the most common surgical diagnosis for a liver surgeon.
The primary method of treating these tumors is radical resection, but if this is not possible, one of the possible palliative solutions is transarterial chemoembolization (TACE). The principle of this method is the targeted embolization of pathological foci using a mixture also containing a locally acting chemotherapeutic.
TACE is one of the established and safe methods of palliative treatment of primary and secondary liver tumors. Despite the low risk of serious complications, it is still an intervention procedure in cancer patients, which can have fatal consequences if the indication is chosen inappropriately.