Bile Duct Cancer Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy
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Intra-Arterial Chemotherapy for Bile Duct Cancer
At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we offer innovative chemotherapy treatment delivery methods to help reduce the side effects of chemotherapy, such as nausea, low blood counts and fatigue.
Intra-arterial chemotherapy (IAC) is a type of regional chemotherapy in which bile duct cancer chemotherapy drugs are delivered directly to the tumor through a catheter placed in the artery that is the primary blood supply for the tumor.
During intra-arterial chemotherapy for bile duct cancer, chemotherapy drugs are delivered directly to the tumor through the hepatic artery (hepatic artery infusion). In order to obtain a “roadmap” of your personal arterial system, intra-arterial chemotherapy begins with a physician performing an angiogram – insertion of a tiny catheter through the right leg’s femoral artery and examining the individual’s particular arterial system under a special scope using a special dye. Once mapped, the bile duct cancer chemotherapy drugs are infused directly into the artery.
The tumor in the bile duct receives the drug, and the liver breaks down most of the drug before it can reach the rest of the body. As a result, this form of bile duct cancer chemotherapy treatment may cause fewer side effects than other chemotherapy delivery methods.
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