The various cancer therapy treatments

Chemotherapy is the treatment of cancer with drugs that can destroy cancer cells by impeding their growth and reproduction.

At Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA), we work closely with our patients to meet your individual needs before, during and after chemotherapy. Our supportive therapies help you relax and minimize side effects.

During chemoembolization, chemotherapy is injected through a catheter directly into a tumor using image guidance. The chemotherapy drugs are mixed with particles, called microspheres, which block the flow of blood to the tumor. Without a blood supply, the tumor no longer has the oxygen and nutrients it needs to grow.


Chemoembolization allows high doses of chemotherapy drugs to be targeted directly to the cancerous tissue for a longer period of time, without exposing the entire body to the effect of the drugs.
chemeombolization:
This method of chemotherapy is primarily used for the treatment of liver cancer, but may also be used for the treatment of other cancers that have spread to the liver, such as pancreatic and colorectal cancers.




chronotherapy:
One of these methods is chronotherapy, in which our doctors time the delivery of chemotherapy drugs based on a patient’s individual biorhythms. We use drug-specific research and track a variety of symptoms to discover when tumor tissues may be most sensitive to the chemotherapy drugs.


Hyperthermic Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy (HIPEC):
this is a heated, sterilized chemotherapy solution which is delivered directly to the abdomen during a surgical procedure. First, surgical oncologists perform surgery to remove visible tumors within the abdomen. Then, using sophisticated technology and tools, the surgical oncologists administer the chemotherapy solution to penetrate and destroy cancer cells that remain in the abdomen after surgery.

HIPEC is a treatment option for people who have advanced surface spread of cancer within the abdomen, without disease involvement outside of the abdomen. It may be used to treat some cases of:
Colorectal cancer
Appendiceal cancer
Ovarian cancer
Stomach cancer
Primary peritoneal cancer

In comparison to traditional chemotherapy delivery, HIPEC allows for higher doses of chemotherapy treatment. Heating the solution (i.e., hyperthermia) also enhances the power of the chemotherapy, improving absorption by tumors and susceptibility of cancer cells to chemotherapy. Furthermore, because the chemotherapy is kept within the abdomen, it minimizes the rest of the body’s exposure to the treatment. This helps reduce some chemotherapy side effects.

As a result, chronotherapy helps to minimize the damage of chemotherapy to healthy tissues. By pinpointing the time of day that is best for treatment, we can deliver higher doses that do less harm to the rest of the body.



Intra- areterial chem otheraphy(IAC):
During IAC, your physician inserts a thin catheter through the femoral artery in the right leg. We perform an angiogram (injects dye under a special scope) to obtain a “roadmap” of the arteries. The physician then uses this roadmap to insert a line into the hepatic artery, which is the main blood vessel that delivers blood to the liver. Using dye from a syringe to make sure the line is in the correct position, the chemotherapy drug or drugs are injected directly into the artery.

Patients typically need to lay flat after the treatment to allow the chemotherapy to reach all areas of the spinal cord and brain. We offer a variety of supportive therapies to help make our patients comfortable during this time, including relaxation therapies from mind-body medicine and acupuncture.




intraperitoneal Chemotheraphy:
This innovative chemotherapy technique works by delivering chemotherapy drugs directly into the abdominal cavity through a catheter. Intraperitoneal chemotherapy directly targets cancer cells in the abdomen, minimizing drug exposure to healthy tissues.

Another innovative treatment we offer, hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC), circulates heated chemotherapy drugs in the abdomen during surgery.






intrathecal chemotherapy:
Intrathecal chemotherapy is delivered through a lumbar puncture (spinal tap) or a device placed under the scalp. Patients typically need to lay flat after the treatment to allow the chemotherapy to reach all areas of the spinal cord and brain. We offer a variety of supportive therapies to help make our patients comfortable during this time, including relaxation therapies from mind-body medicine and acupuncture.