Intra-Arterial (IA) Chemotherapy

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Intra-Arterial (IA) Chemotherapy
Cleveland Clinic

What is intra-arterial chemotherapy infusion?

Intra-arterial chemotherapy infusion is a treatment that delivers high doses of chemotherapy medication directly to the area in which your brain tumor is located. The medication is carried through the arteries that supply blood to your brain. Your physician will perform the procedure, with the help of highly trained nurses. The same nurses will also take care of you during and after the procedure and will make sure you are well enough to go home afterward.


Before your procedure:

Do NOT eat or drink after midnight the night before the procedure.
Do NOT take aspirin or any products containing aspirin within 72 hours prior to the procedure.
Do NOT take Persantine (dipyridamole) or Coumadin (warfarin), commonly referred to as blood thinning pills, within 72 hours prior to the procedure. *
* Please check with your health care provider before discontinuing any medications.

What will happen when I get to the hospital?

When you arrive at the hospital, you will meet with a nurse to review the treatment. The nurse will answer any questions that you and your family may have.

Before your treatment, your CT scan or MRI will be reviewed to measure the tumor's regression or progression. A nurse will then access your port-a-catheter and administer intravenous (IV) fluids. If you do not have a port-a-catheter, an IV line will be started. Once the IV line is in place, a nurse practitioner will examine you.

How is the procedure performed?

The day of the procedure, you will be prepared in an angiography suite. (Angiography is an imaging system that shows your arteries.) You will be given antiemetics, medications that help prevent nausea and vomiting. A foley catheter will then be placed to collect your urine. Two chemotherapy medications, Cytoxan and Etopophos, will be delivered intravenously through your port-a-catheter or IV line.

A neuroradiologist will then insert a catheter into the femoral artery in your groin area. With the help of angiography, the neuroradiologist will guide the catheter from the femoral artery to either the internal carotid artery or the vertebral artery (two arteries are selected each treatment).

Once the catheter is in place, a chemotherapy medication (either Carboplatin or Methotrexate) will be infused through the artery.

How soon will I be able to go home?

After the procedure is complete, you will be taken to the recovery room where you will receive medication and fluids intravenously. You then be given medication that will remove the chemotherapy drugs from your system.

You will be observed in the hospital for 24 hours for any changes in your neurological status. Your nurse practitioner will then evaluate you and discuss further treatments with you before discharging you from the hospital.

If you or your family have any questions about this procedure or your condition, please call 216/444-5381 or toll-free 800/223-2273 ext. 45381, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm. After business hours, please call 216/444-2200 and ask for the person on call for blood brain barrier disruption (BBBD) under neurosurgery.

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This information is provided by the Cleveland Clinic and is not intended to replace the medical advice of your doctor or health care provider. Please consult your health care provider for advice about a specific medical condition.This document was last reviewed on: 11/15/2002

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