Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE) is a procedure where:
- Chemotherapy is delivered directly into the artery feeding the tumor, and
- That artery is then blocked (embolized) to cut off the tumor’s blood supply
This double action:
- Traps the chemotherapy inside the tumor
- Starves the tumor of oxygen and nutrients
- Reduces side effects compared to chemotherapy given through the vein
- Helps shrink or control tumor growth
TACE is most commonly used for:
- Liver cancer (Hepatocellular carcinoma)
- Liver metastases from other cancers (in selected cases)
For patients where radiation is preferred over chemotherapy, transarterial radioembolization (TARE) offers a closely related but distinct approach — delivering tiny radioactive beads directly into the tumor’s artery instead of chemotherapy drugs. Both procedures block the tumor’s blood supply, but TARE uses internal radiation to destroy cancer cells, making it a preferred choice in certain tumor types and patient profiles where TACE may be less suitable.
When the tumor is small and localized, a completely different technique may be recommended instead of embolization. Tumor ablation uses heat generated by radiofrequency or microwave energy to destroy the tumor from within — without blocking any artery. Your doctor will recommend ablation or TACE depending on the tumor’s size, location, number of lesions, and the condition of the surrounding liver tissue.
In some patients, TACE is not the final treatment but a preparatory step. Pre-operative tumor embolization is performed before surgery to shrink the tumor, reduce its blood supply, and lower the risk of bleeding during the operation — making surgical removal safer and more effective in carefully selected cases.
