Interventional Radiology
The Interventional Radiology Department at Santa Clara Kaiser Permanente is able to offer a multitude of services.
- CT and ultrasound guided biopsies are used to help facilitate the precise diagnosis of cancer.
- Treatment services such as chemoembolization, radiofrequency ablation (RFA), thoracentesis, and paracentesis are exclusively offered to patients diagnosed with cancer.
What is chemoembolization:
Chemoembolization is a combination of local delivery of chemotherapy and a procedure called embolization to treat cancer in the liver by injecting directly into the blood vessel supplying the tumor. Chemoembolization may also be used to stop the bleeding of a ruptured tumor in the liver.
What is RFA (radiofrequency ablation):
Radiofrequency is a type of electrical energy that has been used in medical procedures for several decades. During a radiofrequency procedure, an ablation probe is placed directly into the target tissue (for example, a cancer in the liver or lung). The radiofrequency energy flows through the electrodes, creating sufficient heat to kill the target tissue within a few minutes. Heat is a very effective means of killing tissue. As tissue temperature rises above 113° F (50° C), cells are damaged permanently. The process typically requires less than 10-15 minutes exposure time for a 3 cm area of ablation.
