Chemoembolization requires the patient to go under anesthesia or moderate sedation. Through the process of Chemoembolization, a small catheter is inserted in an artery through the groin. At times, physicians may even choose to insert the catheter through the wrist. The catheter is then threaded directly into the liver artery that feeds the tumor. Small microspheres impregnated with chemotherapy drugs are injected into the catheter and directly to a specific tumor(s).

Chemoembolization’s highly concentrated approach deprives the tumors of any oxygen or nutrients while trapping in the chemotherapy micro-spheres at the site of the tumor. This procedure has proven to be highly effective in keeping the overexposure of chemotherapy drugs to healthy surrounding tissue to a minimum, while effectively treating the malignant areas of concern.