Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE)

The liver’s blood supply comes from two vessels:

• Hepatic artery: This artery supplies a smaller amount of the liver’s blood, but liver tumors receive most of their blood from it.
• Portal vein: This vein provides most of the liver’s blood supply.

TACE blocks blood flow from the hepatic artery, effectively starving the liver tumor of nutrients and oxygen. Meanwhile, the liver continues to receive blood from its main source – the portal vein – to continue functioning.

Tiny beads containing chemotherapy drugs are then delivered into the tumor’s blood supply through a catheter. This allows the doctor to direct a high dose of chemotherapy straight to the tumor itself. As a result, there are fewer side effects compared to traditional chemotherapy.

The beads allow a slow, controlled release of the chemotherapy drug over a longer period. This combination slows tumor growth while providing patients a better quality of life.

It is similar in that they both use chemotherapy drugs to destroy cancer. But chemoembolization directs the medicine straight to the tumor, without letting it travel throughout the body. 

Chemoembolization also uses a stronger dose of chemotherapy because it is targeted at the tumor directly. So, there is a greater effect on the tumor, but minimal severe side effects in the rest of the body.

TACE is typically appropriate for people with liver tumors that are 3-5 centimeters in size and that are too large to be operated on. It is also used for cancers that have spread (metastasized) to the liver from the bones or the kidneys.

The night before your procedure, you should stop eating solid foods, candy and gum at 10 p.m. Continue drinking clear liquids to stay hydrated until three hours before your procedure. We may need to reschedule your procedure if you do not follow these guidelines.

Your care team may perform tests including blood tests, a CT scan and MRI, to help prepare for your procedure. You may also be given medications to decrease the risk of infection and nausea and protect your kidneys. 

We will let you know when to arrive when you schedule your appointment.

After TACE, most people experience side effects referred to as post-embolization syndrome (PES). 

Symptoms of PES include:

• Fatigue
• Fever
• Nausea or vomiting
• Pain in the abdomen

PES symptoms usually begin 24 to 72 hours after the procedure and last a few days. Most patients go home the same day and receive prescription medicine to help manage PES.

TACE has multiple benefits, including:

• Less invasive than standard (systemic) chemotherapy or surgery
• Less stress on the body than other common cancer treatments
• Preserving liver function
• Shorter hospital stay and recovery time than surgery
• Stopping tumor growth in most patients

TACE has been shown to slow cancer’s progression and increase your life span.