The BBC is reporting the first liver cancer 'chemo-bath' in the UK. Chemotherapy destroys cells - regardless of being cancerous or healthy. The direction for research has been to target cells. At this stage, the BBC is reporting targets of an organ. It's a great step forward.
The operation works by inflating balloons inside blood vessels on either side of the liver to isolate it from the rest of the body.
The liver is then pumped full of chemotherapy drugs, which are filtered out before the liver is reconnected to the main blood supply.
It means only a tiny fraction of the chemotherapy dose ends up in the body.
The operation works by inflating balloons inside blood vessels on either side of the liver to isolate it from the rest of the body.
The liver is then pumped full of chemotherapy drugs, which are filtered out before the liver is reconnected to the main blood supply.
It means only a tiny fraction of the chemotherapy dose ends up in the body.