
Proctology - What is It, Purpose, Surgery Procedure, Side Effects

Hexahealth care team
Tuesday, 29th November 2022
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is a non-surgical procedure to treat certain cancer tumours in the liver. The word 'transarterial' refers to going ‘through the arteries, whereas chemoembolisation refers to ‘chemotherapy’ through the blood vessels coupled with a procedure called ‘embolisation’. TACE is also commonly known as tumour embolisation.
TACE is a minimally invasive procedure, which is usually performed by an interventional radiologist in patients with liver cancer. The TACE procedure is not a cure but just a palliative treatment. It may improve the patient's survival rates and quality of life. You can check Transarterial Chemoembolization Cost here.
Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is a procedure that helps shrink the liver tumour by cutting off the blood supply and locally delivering chemotherapeutic drugs. This is achieved by chemoembolisation, which is a combination of embolisation and chemotherapy.
TACE procedure can be a standalone treatment or used in combination with surgery, radiation therapy or radiofrequency ablation. It is mainly used to manage cancers like:
The TACE procedure is not for everyone but for a selected group of patients. Surgeons, liver specialists, interventional radiologists, and oncologists review and collectively select the right candidates for the TACE procedure.
The right candidates for the TACE procedure are those with the following:
Being an invasive procedure, it can take roughly about 60 to 90 minutes to complete, depending on the patient's health condition and the complexity of the case. The procedure is conducted under general anaesthesia or sedatives to make the patient comfortable during the surgery. It is performed by an interventional radiologist in a hospital setting. The following steps are carried out during the TACE procedure:
The doctors will prepare the patient well before the procedure by performing several tests and diagnostic procedures. These tests and procedures help evaluate the current health status of the patient which helps plan the procedure accordingly.
After chemoembolisation, one may experience postoperative symptoms for up to 2 to 3 weeks. These side effects are minimised with the help of medications and lifestyle modifications.
TACE procedure benefits are the major reason why doctors recommend this procedure for liver cancer patients. TACE procedure benefits are as follows:
Like any other procedure, TACE Procedure also comes with its own set of risks and complications. Since TACE combines both chemotherapy and embolisation, patients can feel the side effects of both these procedures.
TACE procedure side effects due to chemotherapy are:
TACE procedure side effects due to embolisation can include:
These TACE procedure side effects usually go away 16 to 20 days after the procedure; however, weakness may be felt for as long as up to five weeks.
Some serious and comparatively rare TACE procedure side effects include:
The patient can consult the doctor if he/she experiences:
Most patients who undergo the TACE procedure show good recovery with a high success rate. Since cancer has the potential to spread to other parts of the body, it becomes imperative to treat it at the right time. If it is delayed, cancer in the liver can metastasise to bile ducts, lymph nodes, and other body organs and lead to advanced-stage disease.
If TACE is delayed, the patients may survive for a maximum period of five years, depending upon the stage of the liver cancer.
The cost of the TACE procedure ranges from INR 1,80,000 to 3,00,000. The cost varies based on the following factors: