Sarcoma can cause tumors in your bones or connective tissue in any location throughout your body. In the past, surgery was the only option to remove sarcomas. However, thanks to new technology, a new minimally invasive procedure may destroy sarcoma cells using just a needle.

Ablation therapy uses extreme heat or cold to destroy sarcoma cells while leaving healthy cells undamaged. The procedure is performed by interventional radiologists, who specialize in using imaging guidance to perform minimally invasive procedures.

In some patients, tumors can metastasize (spread) to your liver and/or lung. These lesions may also be targeted with ablation. The liver lesions in certain types of metastatic sarcoma such as gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) respond well to intraarterial therapy of embolization. This treatment involves blocking the blood supply to the tumors.

We offer a wide range of sarcoma treatments to help patients receive the care that’s right for them working together with our oncology, radiation oncology and surgical colleagues. Our expert interventional radiologists perform ablation and embolization therapies for sarcomas so that patients who cannot undergo surgery have other treatment options.

Candidates

You may be a candidate for ablation or embolization therapy if you cannot undergo traditional surgeries due to risk factors like age or other issues. The procedure works best for smaller sarcoma tumors and can be used in many different areas of the body.

What to Expect

During ablation therapy for sarcomas, you’ll receive general anesthesia to keep you asleep and comfortable. Your interventional radiologist will use image guidance, such as a CT or MRI, to identify sarcoma tumors and guide a needle directly in the tumors.

Once the needle is in place, it is rapidly heated or cooled. These extreme temperatures destroy the tumor cells around the needle. Your doctor can use this procedure on multiple tumors throughout your body.
During embolization therapy, you may receive moderate sedation or general anesthesia based on your preference. Your interventional radiologist will use fluoroscopic guidance to map liver anatomy and isolate tumors. They will then guide embolic material that blocks veins directly into tumors. The embolic material may also carry additional treatment such as chemotherapy or radiation on it.

Either procedure may take between two to six hours, depending on how many tumors your doctor is treating or the size of the tumor. Once the procedure is over, you’ll spend a little time recovering in the hospital before returning home on the same day or the next day. You’ll be given medicines to manage any pain you experience after surgery.

Why Choose Us?

Expert care from highly trained interventional radiologists. Our interventional radiologists and radiology specialists are experts in a variety of minimally invasive procedures — everything from treatments to clear blocked blood vessels to advanced cancer therapies like NanoKnife®.

Leading-edge imaging care in South Florida. Our doctors are also researchers discovering new ways to improve diagnosis and treatment. That means you can get some of today’s most promising advancements through clinical trials. You benefit from the latest developments that are fast-tracked from the lab to the bedside.