Health Dictionary
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Isolated limb perfusion
Introduction
Overview
Overview
Isolated limb perfusion is a chemotherapeutic technique used to deliver high doses of cancer drugs directly into the bloodstream. A tourniquet is used to cut off blood flow of the arm or leg of a patient, which isolates the circulation of the limb. Blood is taken from the limb, and highly concentrated drugs are mixed with the blood. Next, the blood is recirculated into the body.[1][2][3]
Purpose
Purpose
The main purpose of the isolated limb perfusion technique is to deliver a very high dose of chemotherapy to tumour sites without causing overwhelming systemic damage. (Unfortunately, while these approaches can be useful against solitary or limited metastases, they are – by definition – not systemic and therefore do not treat distributed metastases or micrometastases).
References
References
- ↑ http://www.cancer.gov/Templates/db_alpha.aspx?CdrID=44853
- ↑ www.ctrf.org/glossary.cfm
- ↑ www.melanomacenter.org/glossary/i.html