DEB

DEB or Drug-Eluting Beads is a type of medical device used in interventional radiology to deliver chemotherapy drugs directly to tumors. The beads are loaded with a chemotherapy drug and then delivered through a catheter directly to the tumor. This allows for a higher concentration of the drug to be delivered to the tumor, while minimizing the amount of drug that reaches the rest of the body.

History

The concept of DEB was first introduced in the early 2000s. The idea was to create a device that could deliver a high concentration of chemotherapy drugs directly to a tumor, while minimizing the amount of drug that reaches the rest of the body. This would potentially reduce the side effects associated with systemic chemotherapy.

Design

DEBs are small, spherical beads that are loaded with a chemotherapy drug. The beads are typically made of a biocompatible material such as polyvinyl alcohol or gelatin. The size of the beads can be varied to control the rate at which the drug is released.

Procedure

The procedure to deliver DEBs is performed by an interventional radiologist. The radiologist uses imaging guidance to insert a catheter into the blood vessel that supplies the tumor. The DEBs are then injected through the catheter and carried by the blood flow directly to the tumor.

Applications

DEBs are used to treat a variety of tumors, including liver cancer, kidney cancer, and lung cancer. They are also being investigated for use in other types of cancer.

Advantages

The main advantage of DEBs is that they allow for a higher concentration of chemotherapy drugs to be delivered directly to the tumor. This can potentially improve the effectiveness of the treatment, while reducing the side effects associated with systemic chemotherapy.

Disadvantages

The main disadvantage of DEBs is that they can only be used to treat tumors that can be accessed by a blood vessel. They are also not suitable for patients who have a high risk of bleeding or who have poor liver function.

See Also

• Interventional radiology
• Chemotherapy
• Tumor

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