Inova Cancer Services offers treatment options for patients diagnosed with inoperable tumors involving the liver, kidney, bone and lung. These treatments include interventional radiology procedures that are minimally invasive.
Radiofrequency ablation (RFA) is a new technique in which a heated device destroys a precise area of tumor with very little risk of damage to the surrounding healthy tissue. RFA frequently is performed on an outpatient basis, under sedation, with minimal side effects. RFA is offered at
Inova Alexandria Hospital,
Inova Fair Oaks Hospital,
Inova Fairfax Hospital and
Inova Loudoun Hospital Cancer Centers.
Chemoembolization involves administering chemotherapy directly into the tumor through a tiny tube. This method can be extremely effective in the treatment of primary liver cancers and other metastatic tumors. Chemoembolization is offered at
Inova Alexandria Hospital,
Inova Fairfax Hospital and
Inova Loudoun Hospital Cancer Centers.
Stereotactic radiosurgery
Inova Alexandria Hospital and
Inova Fairfax Hospital Cancer Centers are the only hospitals in Northern Virginia to offer stereotactic radiosurgery. This technique delivers a very high dose of radiation with extreme precision to a very small target. The radiation therapy is known as intensity modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Three-dimensional images display the size and shape of the tumor. Beams of radiation of different intensities strike the tumor from many angles and reduce the damage to nearby healthy tissues.
Stereotactic radiosurgery was developed as a non-surgical option for hard-to-treat or inaccessible tumors such as brain tumors.
