Interventional Radiology in Oncology: Clinical Management of Patients Undergoing Transarterial Chemoembolization for Hepatic Malignancies

Interventional radiology procedures treat a variety of solid tumor malignancies. Transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is a minimally invasive procedure performed under fluoroscopic guidance that is used in treatment of hepatic malignancies because of hepatocellular carcinoma or malignancy that has metastasized to the liver. Patients undergoing a TACE procedure may manifest postembolization symptoms such as fever, nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain, which may persist after discharge. Patients need to be educated on the importance of compliance with prescribed medications, clinical symptoms to be expected, and signs of potential complications that need to be reported.