SARAJEVO, 9 AUGUST (ONASA) – At the Radiology Clinic of the Clinical Center of the University of Sarajevo (KCUS), four transarterial hemoembolization (TACE) procedures were successfully performed in patients with intermediate stage HCC (BCLC classification – stage B), achieving excellent results , announced KCUS.
TACE is a minimally invasive therapeutic procedure used in the treatment of malignant liver diseases, especially hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
The team of young interventional radiologists, who perform the mentioned procedure, as well as other vascular and non-vascular interventional radiological procedures, are Dr. Haris Kurić and Dr. Muris Bečirčić.
According to Assoc. Dr. Sci. honey. According to Fuad Zukić, head of the KCUS Radiology Clinic, TACE is not performed by any health institution in Bosnia and Herzegovina, so the Radiology Clinic is the first health institution to perform this sophisticated procedure.
“TACE combines the intra-arterial administration of chemotherapy agents with embolization, which blocks the blood vessels supplying the tumor, resulting in ischemia and a reduction in tumor volume. The procedure takes place in several steps: catheterization, because through a small incision, usually in the groin, a catheter is introduced into the femoral artery and leads to the hepatic artery, which supplies the tumor with blood. Chemotherapy injection is also used as a specially prepared embolization agent, i.e. microparticles, which are coated with cytostatics and which are directly injected through the catheter into the artery that feeds the tumor. The last step is embolization. In this way, microparticles coated with cystostatic agents cause occlusion of blood vessels, reducing blood flow and leading to ischemia and necrosis of tumor tissue, along with the local effect of chemotherapy,” explained Assoc. Dr. Sci. Zukic.
Asst. Dr. Sci. Zukić emphasizes that the benefits for the patient are numerous, because targeted TACE therapy enables localized delivery of chemotherapy directly to the tumor tissue, minimizing systemic side effects and exposure of healthy tissues.
“In addition, the procedure is efficient because the synergistic effect of chemotherapy and embolization can be superior in reducing the tumor mass and controlling tumor growth compared to systemic chemotherapy. TACE is also minimally invasive because it enables faster recovery, reduces the risk of perioperative complications and shortens the hospital stay. the procedure can be repeated, enabling the continuous management of tumor progression and improving the quality of life, because the effective control of tumor growth and the reduction of symptoms significantly improve the quality of life of patients”, said Dr. Zukić.
He points out that one TAE (transarterial embolization) procedure was performed at the Radiology Clinic on a patient with unresectable cholangiocarcinoma of the liver.
“There were no serious complications during the interventions, and mild symptoms of post-embolization syndrome (fever, pain in the upper right quadrant of the abdomen, nausea and vomiting) occurred only in some patients. The above symptoms are temporary and can be successfully treated with medication. A control CT scan one month after the procedure showed complete necrosis of the tumor, which represents an exceptional therapeutic success,” said Assoc.Dr. sci. Zukic.
At the Radiology Clinic, in addition to TACE, the implementation of a new minimally invasive interventional procedure, microwave tumor ablation (MWA), is soon planned.
This procedure will further improve the treatment of oncology patients with solid tumors of the liver, lungs, kidneys, and musculoskeletal system, enabling even more efficient control of tumor lesions, with minimal side effects. Microwave ablation uses microwave energy to generate heat that directly destroys tumor tissue, providing precise and effective treatment.
From the Clinic for Radiology, they emphasize good cooperation with colleagues from the Clinic for Oncology, because they nominate patients who are potential candidates for the mentioned procedures.
The introduction of the above-mentioned minimally invasive interventional radiological procedures will significantly improve the treatment of oncology patients in the KCUS. (end)