• From: New Jersey
  • Registered: Tue, 20 Nov 2007
  • Posts: 306

Topic: Targeted Chemo

A friend called yesterday and told me about a special he saw on ABC the other night (wish he had called while the special was on).  I was wondering if anybody has had experience with this method.  Apparently a tube is inserted into your liver and then chemo is administered then drained from the liver before the chemo can go into the bloodstream.  This is done with Delcath Percutaneous Hepatic Perfusion using Melphalon.  I would be interested in further informtion.  I was able to locate the write up on ABC News and am attaching the link.  Any thoughts????

http://abcnews.go.com/Health/CuttingEdg … amp;page=1

Karen

Wishing all God's blessings!
  • Tess
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  • Registered: Sat, 15 Nov 2008
  • Posts: 344

Re: Targeted Chemo

Hi Karen, very interesting article.... one of the principals quoted in the article is Dr. H. Richard Alexander of the University of Maryland Medical Center- he's one of several now conducting clinical trials on this technique, according to the article. The following link will take you to his contact information & one can read more about him (http://www.umm.edu/doctors/h.%20richard__alexander.html).  There are responses in the commentary section of your link above, from people that have experienced the treatment  .... One notes, "I had this procedure back in 2005 and am living a normal and fruitful life. If you would like to know more details I

  • From: Houston, TX
  • Registered: Wed, 09 Jul 2008
  • Posts: 84

Re: Targeted Chemo

Thanks for posting this interesting information! I wonder how this differs from hepatic artery infusion, or TACE which locks the chemo drug in place in the liver. Anyone have more specific info? Thanks!

Violarob in Texas

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  • From: NC
  • Registered: Fri, 07 Nov 2008
  • Posts: 180

Re: Targeted Chemo

Check out the delcath website. In very simplistic terms, as  I understand it: it is almost like dialysis in that the doctors would perform an infusion, but instead of letting the chemo out into the blood stream, it is directed from the liver to an external filter and then place back into the blood stream uncontaminated.
The woman I spoke to at the Natl Cancer Institute advised that it is a bit of a strenuous process for the patient and requires a 4 day hospital stay. The NCI location is (I think) the only trial for primary liver cancer. The others are for melanoma, but please verify that with them as things may have changed.
It looks extraordinarily promising.