Isolated Limb Infusion (ILI) Performed in Baltimore
The cancer surgeons of Surgical Oncology at Mercy Medical Center in Baltimore, Maryland provide treatment options for management of a variety of cancers. Surgical Oncology at Mercy is among a limited number of cancer centers that perform isolated limb infusion (ILI) for conditions including melanoma or sarcoma.
What is Isolated Limb Infusion?
Isolated limb infusion (ILI) is a state-of-the-art technique used to treat advanced melanoma or sarcoma confined to an arm or leg. Chemotherapy medications are injected into an artery of the affected arm or leg while the limb’s blood supply is temporarily cut off with a tourniquet. This procedure allows the drugs to be delivered in a high dose to the affected area and provides less damage to healthy tissue in other areas of the body.
How is Isolated Limb Infusion performed?
Using a tourniquet the blood supply to the arm or leg will be blocked off. Chemotherapy drugs can then be injected directly into the artery of the affected limb. The drugs impact the affected area, keeping the rest of the body from exposure to the high dose of chemotherapy.
When is Isolated Limb Infusion the best option?
Isolated limb infusion is generally offered when amputation is the only treatment option after the cancer has spread deep into the limb.