Intravascular Treatment Techniques for Locoregional Therapies of Lung Tumors

Abstract

Background Lung cancer incidence has greatly increased over the past century. Moreover, the lung is the most common site of metastatic involvement. Despite improvements in the diagnosis and treatment of lung malignancies, patient prognosis is still unsatisfactory. Locoregional chemotherapeutic techniques for the treatment of lung malignancies are the current focus of research. The aim of this review article is to present different locoregional intravascular techniques and their treatment principles and to assess the pros and cons of each of them as a palliative and neoadjuvant treatment method in the treatment of lung malignancy. Method The different methods for the treatment of malignant lung lesions such as isolated lung perfusion (ILP), selective pulmonary artery perfusion (SPAP), transpulmonary chemoembolization (TPCE), bronchial artery infusion (BAI), bronchioarterial chemoembolization (BACE), and intraarteriel chemoperfusion (IACP) are evaluated comparatively. Results Locoregional intravascular chemotherapy procedures are proving to be promising treatment options in the management of malignant lung tumors. In order to achieve optimal results, the locoregional technique should be used to achieve the highest possible uptake of the chemotherapeutic agent into the target tissue with rapid systemic clearance. Conclusion Among the various treatment options for lung malignancies, TPCE is the best evaluated treatment concept. However, further studies are necessary to define the optimal treatment concept with the best clinical outcomes. Key Points  Citation Format