Chemoembolization

I'm a 55 y/o female with neuroendocrine carcinoma of the liver. I have tumors in both lobes, the largest is about 6cm X 12 cm.  I was on thalidomide for awhile, participated in a clinical trial, then recently went back on thalidomide.  My doctor wants to chemoembolize my liver tumors, and I think it may be the right thing to do.  I've read up on it and while it doesn't seem particularly pleasant it may be my best bet to put off that visit to the dead relatives a little longer.  I would appreciate it if anyone who has had this prodecure would respond to this post with the good, the bad, the ugly, success stories, horror stories all welcome.  Just wondering how it has worked for or affected some people who have actually had the procedure.  I'm not planning on doing it until after the first of the year-don't want to be laid up and in pain around the holidays. 

My husband has had 4 chemoemboliztion treatments.  The side effects from each was different so we never knew what to expect but none lasted more than a couple of weeks.  We did have some success with the treatment and would reccomend it to anyone fighting this disease.  For more experiences and information check out www.cholangiocarcinoma.org and under the discussion category search for chemoemboization. 

Hi,

I'm a 42 y/o female and had neuroendicrine cancer of the pancreas, with mets to my liver. I had embolization done 2x, but not with chemo. My doctors felt the chemo would make me feel too sick and they weren't confident that the chemoembolization would be anymore beneficial than the regular embolization. The embolization may have helped the tumors, but the drs. weren't sure. My tumors did stop growing and spreading, but I had already been approved for a liver transplant. When I had the transplant, they said the tumors were walled off and my body was fighting them. Don't know if it was the embolization or other things I tried. I would definitely give it a try.