Breakthrough cancer treatments now performed at Sacred Heart

New treatment for liver tumors a first for Spokane
The first minimally invasive procedure to treat a tumor of the liver was recently performed at Sacred Heart Medical Center by David Liu, MD, and Jayson Brower, MD, both interventional oncologists with Inland Vascular Institute and Inland Imaging, LLC. Sacred Heart is the only medical center in Washington state to offer this procedure.

Using a process called embolization, radioactive beads are passed through blood vessels to treat the liver tumor directly. While surgery and chemotherapy are currently the first line of therapy, this new procedure provides hope for patients who thought they had run out of options.

This breakthrough treatment is not designed to treat all types of cancer, but can be used effectively to target tumors localized in the liver. Formerly practicing in Oregon, Dr. Liu has successfully treated a large number of patients there with radioactive beads with excellent outcomes. Now these innovative, world-class therapies are offered locally as part of the Providence Cancer Center.

In addition, the Interventional Oncology program at Sacred Heart is the first in the state to administer drug eluting chemotherapy beads (in addition to the radioactive bead therapies) to target tumors and deliver powerful forms of chemotherapy directly to liver tumors through blood vessels. These therapies offer tremendous new options for patients.

Emerging field of minimally invasive oncology treatments
Embolization treatments???along with radiofrequency ablations, a process in which heat is directly applied to the tumor through a metal probe (see below)???are part of an emerging field of minimally invasive oncology treatments.

Performed by interventional oncologists (a new subspecialty of radiology), innovative procedures that were once experimental are making their way into our community. Sacred Heart has long had a nationally recognized Interventional Radiology program and is excited to expand that expertise into the Interventional Oncology realm.

Interventional Oncology represents a new generation of cancer therapies now available in Spokane. ???Our ability to use the latest imaging technologies to localize disease and treat it in a minimally invasive fashion has the potential to treat disease that was previously untreatable. In essence, we are optimizing the therapies patients have been receiving,??? says Dr. Liu.

???Working together with a team that includes medical, radiation and surgical oncologists, we are delivering the absolute highest quality care in an integrated approach,??? says Dr. Brower. ???The more we work together, the better the outcome for our patients.???

RFA lung cancer treatment now available in Spokane
Treating lung cancer is a continual challenge. Patients with these tumors must have them removed or reduced, or they face deteriorating health and possibly death from mechanical obstruction of the lung or from the spread of cancer to other parts of the body. Removal of the entire tumor is the optimal course of action, but it is often not a possibility for many patients of advanced age and deteriorating health.

Considered by many to be a promising alternative to surgery, radiofrequency ablations (RFA) use needle-like electrodes to produce alternating electrical currents (in the range of radio waves) to produce a high level of heat within the tumor tissue. This procedure, generally done under CT guidance, destroys the tumor tissue, but is minimally invasive to the surrounding normal tissue. Side effects and complications are less frequent and less serious than with open surgery. RFA is used both as a potential for cure as well as palliative care for pain relief in terminal conditions.

Until recently, these procedures were not available in the Spokane region. Patients traveled to Portland, San Francisco or other major metropolitan areas for the treatment.

Ken Symington, MD, an interventional radiologist with Inland Imaging, was among the first to perform RFA for lung tumors approximately six years ago in Syracuse, NY. Now that he is practicing in Spokane, this important procedure is now offered locally.

Dr. Symington says, ???RFA in general, and particularly RFA in the lung, is a rapidly emerging technology proven to be an effective method of controlling malignancy throughout the body, and I???m extremely excited to be part of the team who can deliver this revolutionary technology.???

Normally, this procedure is performed with moderate sedation or general anesthesia and local anesthetic. The procedure generally takes between one and two hours. After some time in the recovery room to ensure the sedation has worn off, the patient is given oral medications for mild discomfort and sent home. On occasion, an overnight stay for observation may be required.

Interventional oncology team members
The Interventional Oncology specialists at Sacred Heart include Inland Imaging physicians Jayson Brower, MD; David Liu, MD; Cam Seibold, MD; and Ken Symington, MD. Questions concerning these treatments can be referred to (509) 474-5832.