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Embolisation in cancer: cutting off a tumour's blood supply | CION Cancer Clinics
Tumour embolisation works by blocking the artery that feeds a cancer, so the tumour is starved of blood and oxygen. A doctor threads a thin tube through a blood vessel from the leg or wrist and releases tiny particles, sometimes carrying chemotherapy or radiation, to plug it. This page explains how it works, what blocks the vessel, who it does not suit, and what to ask your team. CION Cancer Clinics’ surgical oncologists in Hyderabad can talk this through with you.
MI
Medically reviewed by Dr. Mohammed ImaduddinConsultant Surgical Oncologist · MBBS, MS (General Surgery), MCh (Surgical Oncology) · last reviewed September 2026, next review due September 2027
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The short answer
How does embolisation starve a tumour?
Embolisation blocks the artery that feeds a tumour, so the tumour gets less blood, less oxygen and less food. A doctor passes a very thin tube through a blood vessel to reach that artery, then releases tiny particles or other material to plug it from the inside.
Why a tumour depends on its blood supply
A tumour grows by building its own network of small vessels. Many tumours draw most of their blood from one or two arteries. Block those, and part of the tumour can shrink or die, while nearby healthy tissue keeps getting blood from other routes.
Who does it
The procedure is usually done by an interventional radiologist. That is a doctor who treats disease through blood vessels using live X-ray pictures as a guide, instead of opening the body. Your surgical or medical oncologist decides with them whether it has a place in your plan.
Embolisation is a procedure, not an operation. There is no large cut, and most people are awake but sedated.The material
What is used to block the artery?
The choice depends on the tumour, the vessel and what the team wants the blocking to do. You may see any of these names on your report.
Tiny particles
Grains far smaller than a grain of sand are carried by the blood into the tumour's smallest vessels and lodge there. When nothing else is added, this is called bland embolisation.
Particles with chemotherapy
The blocking material carries a cancer drug, so the drug stays inside the tumour for longer and less of it reaches the rest of the body. This is TACE, used mainly for liver tumours.
Radioactive beads
Beads carrying a radioactive substance give radiation from inside the tumour. This is TARE, also called SIRT or Y-90.
It is planned differently from TACE and needs a separate test run first.Coils, plugs and glue
Small metal coils or liquid glue close a larger vessel completely.
Often used for
- Bleeding from a tumour
- Reducing blood loss before surgery
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How does the doctor reach the artery?
A small entry point
The skin at the top of your leg or the inside of your wrist is numbed. A needle opens the way into an artery, and a fine tube called a catheter is slipped in. You feel pressure, and a sting from the numbing injection.
Finding the way on X-ray
A dye is injected through the tube so the arteries show up on a screen. This picture is called an angiogram. It lets the doctor steer the tube along the blood vessels to the branch that feeds the tumour.
Releasing the material
The blocking material is released slowly while the doctor watches the flow on screen. They stop when blood no longer moves freely into the tumour, keeping healthy branches open where they can.
Closing the entry point
The tube comes out and the small hole is pressed firmly or closed with a device. You lie flat or keep the arm still for some hours so it does not bleed.
Did you know
Healthy liver gets most of its blood from a vein, while liver tumours get most of theirs from an artery. That split is why embolisation is used so often for tumours in the liver.
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On your report
What do the words in the letter mean?
- Embolisation
- Blocking a blood vessel on purpose, from the inside.
- Catheter
- The thin, soft tube passed through the artery. It comes out at the end of the procedure.
- Angiogram
- The X-ray picture of the arteries taken with dye during the procedure.
- Hepatic artery
- The artery that carries blood to the liver, and the one most often used to reach liver tumours.
- Palliative
- Treatment aimed at controlling a cancer or easing symptoms, rather than removing it completely.
- Necrosis
- Tissue that has died. On a later scan it can be a sign that the blocking has worked.
Commonly believed
What do families often get wrong about it?
"If they block the blood, the whole organ will die."
The doctor blocks only the branch feeding the tumour, as close to it as they can reach. Healthy tissue usually keeps its blood from other vessels. This is why liver function is checked before, so the team knows how much the liver can take.
"No cut means it is a small thing."
The entry point is tiny, but the effect on the tumour is real. Many people have fever, pain and tiredness for some days while the tumour tissue breaks down. Plan for rest and a family member at home.
"Embolisation removes the cancer, so no other treatment is needed."
It usually shrinks or controls a tumour rather than removing it. It is often one part of a longer plan that may include scans, repeat sessions, surgery, medicines or a transplant.
"It is only offered when nothing else can be done."
Sometimes it is used to control disease that cannot be operated on. It is also used before surgery, to stop bleeding, or to keep a liver tumour in check while a person waits for a transplant.
Being straight with you
Who is it not for, and what can this page not tell you?
Embolisation does not suit everyone with a tumour. It depends on the tumour having a clear arterial supply, and on the organ around it being healthy enough to cope when that supply is cut.
When the team may look at other options
It is often not offered when the liver is already working very poorly, when the main vein into the liver is blocked, or when cancer has spread widely outside the organ being treated. Kidney problems, an allergy to the X-ray dye or a bleeding problem can also change the plan. None of these is a decision on its own. Your team weighs them together.
What this page cannot tell you
It cannot tell you whether embolisation is right for you, how well it will work for your tumour, or how many times it may be needed. Those answers come from your scans, your blood tests and the team who knows your whole history. Take your questions to them.
Useful questions to ask: what is the aim in my case, what are the other choices, and what happens if we wait?Questions we are asked
Common questions about tumour embolisation
Will I be awake during embolisation?
Usually yes, but relaxed. Most people have a numbing injection where the tube goes in and medicine through a drip to make them drowsy and comfortable. Some centres use a general anaesthetic for longer or more difficult procedures. Ask the team which they plan for you, so you know what to expect on the day.
Does it hurt?
The procedure itself is not usually very painful, because the blood vessels inside do not feel the tube. Pain tends to come afterwards, as the tumour loses its blood supply. It can feel like a deep ache in the treated area. The team gives regular pain relief and changes it if it is not enough, so tell them early.
How long will I stay in hospital?
Many people stay one night so the entry point and any pain or fever can be watched. Some go home the same day, and some stay longer if symptoms need managing. It depends on the type of embolisation and how you feel afterwards. Arrange for someone to take you home, because you should not drive.
Which cancers is embolisation used for?
It is used most often for cancer that started in the liver and for some cancers that have spread to the liver. It is also used for some kidney tumours, tumours in bone, and before certain operations to reduce bleeding. Whether it fits a particular cancer is decided case by case, not by the cancer name alone.
Can the blocked artery open again?
Sometimes. With some materials the vessel stays closed, and with others blood flow can partly return over time. Tumours can also grow new small vessels. That is one reason a follow-up scan is done, and why some people need the procedure more than once.
Is embolisation the same as chemotherapy?
No. Plain embolisation uses no drug at all. TACE combines the blocking with a chemotherapy drug placed directly into the tumour, which is different from chemotherapy given through a drip to the whole body. Some people have both at different points in their treatment, depending on the plan.
What will I feel in the days afterwards?
Fever, pain in the treated area, feeling sick and tiredness are common for some days. This group of effects has a name, post-embolisation syndrome, and it is expected. What is not expected is a very high fever with shivering, yellow eyes, confusion or pain that keeps getting worse. Those need a doctor the same day.
Is it covered by Aarogyasri or insurance?
Often, when the procedure is part of an approved cancer treatment plan. Aarogyasri, CGHS, ECHS and EHS may cover it, and many cashless insurers do. What is covered varies by scheme and policy. Call the helpline with your card details and ask the centre to check your own cover before the date is fixed.
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Sources
- American Cancer Society — Embolization therapy for liver cancer
- National Cancer Institute — Definition of embolization
- Cancer Research UK — Treatment for liver cancer
- NHS — Liver cancer: treatment
This page is general information, not a prescription. Do not change or stop any treatment based on what you read here. If anything is worrying you, contact your own treating team — or call our helpline and we will help you reach the right specialist.
Keep reading
Related pages
TACE: Chemoembolisation of the LiverThe most common form of embolisation for liver cancerPost-Embolisation Syndrome After TACEThe fever and pain in the days afterwardsTACE vs TARE: How They DifferChemotherapy beads or radioactive beadsTACE, TARE and EmbolisationEvery page on this group of procedures
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