Abstract
Intra-arterial chemotherapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma is widely conducted across Japan. Interventional radiology, by making full use of catheterization techniques, plays an important role in this treatment, and various inventions ranging from catheters to imaging modalities and injection device have been added. In the present paper the basic concepts and technical inventions in intra-arterial chemoinfusion therapy of head and neck cancers, together with some major complications, are described. Special emphasis is placed on the arterial channel alteration technique, because this procedure is considered to greatly enhance the chemoinfusion therapy. Also, some major problems to be solved in this treatment are presented.
