TRANSCATHETER EMBOLIZATION OF RENAL CELL CARCINOMA

Abstract

A transcatheter embolization (TcE) procedure was performed in six patients with renal cell carcinoma, using Gelfoam^® (artificial fibrin foam) containing an anticancer agent. Of these patients, five also underwent nephrectomy 2-19 days after this embolization procedure. During the surgical operation, the tumor was observed to be edematous, and the magnitude of vascular dilation was mild. The impression was that in these five cases, the operation was easy to perform. In the remaining one, where an operation was judged to be impossible to carry out, the TcE was given three times, and as a result, the tumor regressed. Gelfoam was present in the capillary vessels in the glomeruli in the histological samples collected two days after the TcE, and disappeared in the samples taken 19 days after. Adverse reactions observed included pain, fever and meteorism tympanites.
The manipulation of this method is simple and can easily be repeated. If surgical operation is impossible, this method is worth trying.