Using innovative and minimally-invasive procedures, Interventional Associates has helped hundreds of cancer patients treat and diagnose cancer and minimize pain and other side effects of the disease.
Interventional procedures are increasingly used in the care of patients with cancer. Interventional Associates frequently treats liver, bone, lung, and breast cancer, as well as metastases associated with these diagnoses. Our physicians perform cancer therapies at all hospital locations in our practice. To learn more about what our practice can do for you, contact us or call our main office at 610-275-8346.
Innovative Cancer Treatments
There are several treatments interventional radiologists can use to treat
cancer. When treating cancer patients, Interventional Radiologists offer
nonsurgical treatments, including embolization to cut off blood supply to
the tumor; Radiofrequency Ablation and Cryoablation, which deliver thermal
energy directly to the tumor; Chemoembolization, which delivers the cancer
drug directly into the tumor; and Sir-Spheres, an innovative cancer therapy
which delivers radio-active microspheres into the blood stream to specifically
target liver tumors.
Since these techniques are delivered to the cancer specifically, patients typically have fewer overall side effects. According to the National Cancer Institute, "targeted cancer therapies give doctors a better way to tailor cancer treatment."
Radiofrequency Ablation (RFA) and Cryoablation
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) and Cryoablation offer a non-surgical, localized treatment for cancer. Interventional Associates physicians successfully use thermal ablation techniques to treat many cancers. These procedures are ideal for non-surgical candidates and those with smaller tumors. Thermal ablation kills cancer tumor cells with extreme heat (RFA) and cold (cryoablation), while sparing nearby healthy tissue. This treatment is much easier on the patient than systemic therapy. Thermal Ablation can typically be delivered without affecting the patient's overall health and most people can resume their usual activities in a few days. These are relatively safe procedures, with low complication rates.
Thermal Ablation — Benefits:
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Most effective when the cancer is localized |
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Can be used to treat primary cancer sites and tumors that have metastasized from other areas |
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Usually does not require general anesthesia and is well tolerated |
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Most patients can resume their normal routine the next day |
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Can relieve pain for many cancer patients |
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Requires a short hospital stay and few complications |
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Can be repeated if necessary and may be combined with other treatment |
Chemoembolization and Radioembolization for Liver Cancer
Interventional Radiologists use image-guidance to deliver chemotherapy (Chemoembolization) or radioactive beads (Radioembolization) through blood vessels directly into the liver. These treatments deliver very high doses of chemotherapy or radioactivity directly to the tumor(s); and reduce damage and toxicity to the rest of the body while effectively delivering the highest dose to the cancer.
Radioembolization with SIR-Spheres® is an innovative cancer therapy being used specifically to treat liver cancer. Interventional Associates is one of the leading providers of SIR-Spheres® treatments in the country. SIR-Spheres® have been used to treat hundreds of patients with liver cancer in Australia, USA, Europe, New Zealand and Asia in a variety of clinical trials and in general practice.
