Abstract
Minimally invasive techniques in the treatment of cancer continue to develop at a
rapid pace. Although surgical resection currently remains the only option for a complete
cure, not all diseases are amenable to complete removal. This leaves opportunities
to develop effective downstaging techniques as well as palliative care. In the realm
of minimally invasive oncologic techniques, catheter-based therapies are an attractive
option because malignancies require a blood supply to remain active. The intra-arterial
(IA) delivery of specific tumoricidal drugs has been shown to be a successful delivery
method in a variety of different cancers, and it is currently a progressive area of
research. There is work both to increase the delivery specificity of oncologic drugs,
including SW43 sigma receptor ligand and nanoparticle research. In addition, oncolytic
viral therapy and 3-bromopyruvate have become increasingly more attractive tumoricidal
drug prospects. In the future, the success of these therapies will ultimately determine
the degree to which IA delivery will compete with the systemic delivery of drugs in
the treatment of cancer.
Keywords
oncology - interventional - catheter-based techniques - minimally invasive
