Chemoembolization of the liver
TACE treats liver cancer from inside the blood vessels. A thin tube carries cancer medicine right to the tumour, then blocks the artery that feeds it, with no cut in the belly.
The short version
- Some liver cancers start in the liver, and others spread there from other parts of the body.
- In TACE, the IR team passes a thin tube from your groin or wrist to the artery that feeds the tumour, guided by live X-ray.
- They put cancer medicine straight into the tumour and then block its blood supply, while the healthy liver keeps getting blood from a large vein.
- TACE is usually not a cure, but it can shrink the cancer or slow it down. Most people stay in hospital for a night or two and feel unwell for a week or two after.
When to get help
- Sudden, severe pain in your belly
- Fainting, collapsing, or feeling very dizzy
- Chest pain
- Bad trouble breathing
- Vomiting blood
- Bleeding at the groin or wrist that does not stop with firm pressure
- A lump at the groin or wrist that is quickly getting bigger
- Belly pain that keeps getting worse, or is not helped by your pain medicine
- A temperature of 38°C or higher, or a fever that suddenly goes up
- A fever that lasts more than a week
- Shortness of breath
- Fluid draining from the puncture site
IR team phone: added by the hospital before launch After hours, or if you can’t reach them: go to the nearest emergency department.
Not sure? Call HealthLink BC at 8-1-1, any time, day or night. You are not sure if something is normal Questions about medicines, eating or activity when your team is closed Non-urgent advice from a nurse, any time of day
See it step by step on a 3D model
Open the full guide to see the procedure step by step, what to expect before and after, and questions to ask your doctor.
Web address: added before launch
General information, not medical advice. Your care team knows your situation and makes decisions with you.
Pathway P-007 · TACE handout · Version 0.5 · 14 October 2026 · Draft