A diagnosis of cancer can be devastating, especially if you have been told there is no effective treatment for your type of tumor, or that you are not a good candidate for curative surgery because of other medical illnesses you may have. Until recently, people in this situation have had little hope. But now the physicians at Valley Endovascular Associates have brought the latest minimally invasive cancer therapies from America's research hospitals to the Hudson Valley community.

Chemoembolization is an innovative treatment for cancers of the liver which, for whatever reason, cannot be treated with traditional surgical methods. The goal of this procedure is to block the tumors' blood supply and, at the same time, deposit a concentrated form of chemotherapy at the site of the cancer. This is all done using a catheter (a thin flexible, spaghetti sized tube) which is placed through a tiny hole in the skin and then directed through the pathways of the body's arteries to the portion of the liver where the cancer is located. Chemotherapy and particles which block the blood supply are then infused through the catheter. This is all done without making an incision and with the use of X-ray guidance.

Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a procedure which destroys tumors by heating them to high temperatures -- essentially "cooking" them. It has been used to treat cancers of the liver, kidney, lung and bone. The heating is performed with a special type of needle which is inserted through a tiny hole in the skin, and then guided to the tumor using CAT scan or ultrasound to navigate to the correct site. An electrical current is then passed through the needle which causes the tissue at the tip of the needle to increase in temperature. This increases in temperature kills tumor cells in the vicinity of the needle tip. After being given a few hours to recover from the procedure, patients can usually go home the same day as the procedure. Compared to surgery, RFA has a much lower rate of complications such as bleeding and infection. RFA is a good alternative treatment for patients who cannot undergo surgery secondary to medical illness such as heart or lung disease or whose tumors are not amenable to surgical removal.

If you feel that you may be a candidate for either chemoembolization or RFA, please contact us for a consultation.

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