Ethanol Injection

Injection of 100% absolute alcohol into tumors can be beneficial as it is highly toxic to liver tumors. It is injected into the center of the tumor through the skin (percutaneously) or at the time of surgery. The alcohol causes cells to dry out and cellular protein to disintegrate, ultimately leading to tumor cell death. This treatment is administered to patients who refuse surgery or who have severe liver disease that prevents them from having liver surgery.

This procedure is often done in a hospital or clinic as the injections are done with the assistance of ultrasound or CT scan. Each treatment consists of one injection, though a series of injections may also be recommended to effectively treat the tumors. Side effects are mild and temporary (5-10 minutes) and include localized pain and an overall feeling of alcohol intoxication.

Alcohol injection is a safe and easy procedure that has been shown to prolong survival (40 - 70% at three years) with small hepatocellular cancers. It provides palliative management of metastatic liver cancer and can, in some cases, extend patient survival rate.

A new experimental therapy for patients with unresectable liver tumors is being tested at Allegheny General Hospital. Patients undergo an injection with a solution that contains alcohol and a chemotherapy drug called BCNU. This drug combination is called DTI-015. Initial work with this drug combination at MD Anderson Cancer Center in Houston Texas produced encouraging preliminary results. A Phase I/Il study, which is an FDA-approved study, is currently underway at the Allegheny General Hospital in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania.

Below is a CT scan of a patient with two liver tumors (depicted by the arrows). The patient underwent an injection with DTI-0l5, which produced death of both tumors (depicted by the dark homogenous masses and two white arrows).

To contact us about your specific case, click here. If you would like to learn more about our approach to liver cancer, click here.