Minimally Invasive Treatment Offers Hope for Liver Cance...( In 2007 over 85% of liver cancer tr...)

In 2007, over 85% of liver cancer treatments performed in interventional

radiology suites used transcatheter chemoembolization, according to

Millennium Research Group

WALTHAM, Mass., March 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Data from Millennium Research Group's (MRG's) US Interventional Radiology (IR) Marketrack(TM) indicates that in 2007, over 85% of liver cancer treatments performed in IR suites used transcatheter chemoembolization, a procedure that delivers chemotherapy agents directly to a tumor through minimally invasive means.

Microsphere particles, including Boston Scientific's Contour SE, Biosphere Medical's Embosphere, and others, were used in 40% of these treatments. Overall, chemoembolization particles generated nearly 20% of total microsphere revenue. As such, chemoembolization procedures are a key segment in the overall embolic particle market, which, in addition to standard microspheres, includes drug-infused microspheres, selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) spheres, and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) particles. MRG's US IR Marketrack(TM) service monitors the adoption of embolic particles for liver cancer, uterine fibroids, aneurysms, hemorrhages, and vascular anomalies.

"In chemoembolization, chemotherapy agents are mixed with embolic particles and are delivered through a catheter directly to the tumor, thereby localizing the chemo treatment" says Phil Scrutton, Analyst at MRG. "The particles also embolize the surrounding arteries, blocking blood flow to the cancerous tissue. This slows diffusion of the chemotherapy agents away from the tumor, which increases its effectiveness in targeting the liver tumor, while the embolization also deprives the tumor of oxygen and nutrients."

Liver cancer has historically had a poor prognosis, but the use of embolic particles in conjunction with drugs in chemoembolization, while not a cure, is leading to longer life expectancies for cancer sufferers. These positive
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