Interventional Oncology at The Cancer Institute at Alexian Brothers Hospital Network

About Us

Cancer treatment has come a long way in a relatively short time. Part of this progress includes a full range of services within the department of radiology at Alexian Brothers Hospital Network called Interventional Oncology. Interventional Oncology refers to a series of procedures developed to treat cancer in certain patients as well as improve their quality of life.

Cancer is commonly treated with surgery, chemotherapy, radiation therapy, or some combination of these treatments. Interventional oncology procedures use image guidance and minimally invasive techniques to treat cancer in various organs of the body with minimal side effects. Interventional oncologists at both Alexian Brothers Medical Center and St. Alexius Medical Center work together with medical and surgical oncologists to identify cancer patients who might benefit from these procedures.

Common Interventional Oncologic Procedures include:

• Chemoembolization. This is a method where chemotherapy medications are directly delivered to liver tumors.
• Tumor Ablation. A procedure in which x-ray guidance uses special probes to apply freezing or heating methods to kill tumor cells.
• Relief of Obstructions. A procedure guided by x-ray that inserts tubes or stents into the liver or kidneys to drain away excess fluids that have been obstructed by the growth of cancer.