Before Dr. Williams brought the specialized transarterial radioembolization Y90 treatment to El Paso and West Texas & Southern New Mexico region in March 2015, El Paso was the largest metropolitan area in the United States without a Selective Internal Radiation Therapy/ Y90 program. Dr. Williams is the only Y90 practitioner with qualifications in both Nuclear Medicine and Vascular & Interventional Radiology in West Texas. Not only did Dr. Williams perform the first Y90 treatment in El Paso, he has performed more than 150 Y90 treatments.
What We Do Differently
Dr. Williams passion in Interventional Oncology has led to him developing a multi-disciplinary team approach used now by several local hospitals.
Dr. Williams handpicked team of nurses and patient coordinators/navigators stand ready to assist you, and to guide and support you along your treatment pathway.
Because Dr. Williams has performed thousands of cancer treatments. He will design a specialized treatment for you in consultation with your other physicians to ensure your cancer treatment is effective and maximized over time.
Advanced Liver Cancer Treatment Options
- Transarterial Chemoembolization (TACE)
- Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE)
- Thermal Ablation
By selecting the right intervention at the right time Dr Williams builds a treatment program for the long term. He will meet with you and go over results, expectations and options.
What is Transarterial Chemoembolization?
TACE is an outpatient, non-surgical, liver directed treatment for in-operable liver tumors (85% of all liver tumors).
How Does Chemoembolization Work?
A tiny tube is inserted through the groin and is guided into arteries feeding the tumors using special image guidance. Millions of tiny beads coated with an effective chemotherapy are directed to the liver cancer. This means a powerful amount can be delivered to small arteries feeding the tumors and lodging them. This starves the cancer of blood-borne nutrients and oxygen. Also, the coated beads lodged in the cancers ensures that a powerful dose of chemotherapy is delivered exactly where it is needed. And because it is delivered locally there are only minor, if any side effects. Treatment can be at little as once every six months.
Who can Benefit from Chemoembolization?
Primary Liver Cancer:
TACE can be used to treat hepatocellular cancer (and cholangiocarcinoma) in order to cure or slow down tumor growth or to shrink tumors prior to other treatments including liver resection and/or transplants.
Secondary Liver Cancer:
TACE can be used to treat liver tumors (metastases) from other sites including:
- Colorectal cancer
- Breast cancer
- Pancreatic cancer
- Cholangiocarcinoma
- Other: gastric, neuroendocrine
Beads can be coated with different, optimized medications and delivered in different ways to maximize impact.
Because the effect on the health liver is mild TACE can be repeated as needed and integrated into a long-term treatment program.
What is Transarterial Y90 Radio-Embolization (TARE) And How Does It Work?
Like TACE Y-90 TARE is an outpatient, non-surgical, liver directed treatment for in-operable liver tumors. Instead of millions of tiny beads coated with chemotherapy they contain radioactive Y90 (yttrium-90). These are injected into the small arteries feeding the tumors and lodge in them. The beads emit radioactivity that travels 1/16th inch to selectively destroy.
cancer cells leaving normal liver cells alone. They kill the cancer over the next 10 days.
Who can Benefit from Y90-Tare
Like TACE, TARE can be used to treat primary liver cancer hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma) or to treat secondary liver cancer (metastases) from, for examples, colorectal cancer, breast cancer, pancreatic cancer, gastric, and neuroendocrine.
What is Thermal Ablation?
By placing small probes in the cancer heat (microwave) or cold (cryo-ablation) can be used to kill tumors in the liver.
Thermal ablation can also be used to treat cancers in other organs for example; kidney and lung.
- KIDNEY CANCERS
- LUNG CANCERS
Where are Procedures Done?
Many of Dr. Williams treatments are done outside the hospital in a quiet, more comfortable, family-like outpatient setting making your care easy, accessible and personalized. When needed they are done in the hospital setting.