TACE for liver tumours (Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE))
A keyhole, image-guided treatment that delivers chemotherapy straight into a liver tumour through its blood supply and then blocks that supply, used to control liver cancer when surgery is not possible.
✓ Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant · last reviewed September 2026 · next review September 2027 · how we review
In short
- TACE delivers chemotherapy into a liver tumour through its own blood supply and then blocks that supply, all through a fine tube.
- It is mainly used to control liver cancer or keep it stable, including as a bridge to transplant, and is usually not a cure on its own.
- It is decided by a specialist liver cancer team and is for people whose cancer has not spread outside the liver and whose liver is working well enough.
- A flu-like reaction and tummy pain for a few days afterwards are common, and the treatment is often repeated.
A plain-English summary. The detail — including risks and recovery — is below.
At a glance
A general guide. Your radiologist will give you advice for your situation.
Can shrink or control liver tumours when surgery is not possible
The cancer has spread outside the liver, into major blood vessels, lymph nodes or other organs.
You are awake but relaxed with sedation. The puncture is numb; you may feel pressure and a warm flush from the dye.
Clear management of post-embolisation syndrome with pain relief and anti-sickness medicines.
You are awake but relaxed with sedation. The puncture is numb; you may feel pressure and a warm flush from the dye.
You lie flat so the artery seals. Staff watch the puncture site, your pulse and blood pressure, and give pain...
Flu-like symptoms, tummy pain, nausea and tiredness are common as the tumour responds. Most people manage these at...
A scan checks how the tumour has responded. Liver blood tests are repeated. Further sessions may be planned based...
What is TACE for liver tumours?
TACE stands for transarterial chemoembolisation. It is a keyhole treatment for liver cancer in which chemotherapy is delivered directly into the tumour through the artery that feeds it, and that blood supply is then blocked with tiny beads or a gel. Liver tumours get most of their blood from the hepatic artery, so this targets the tumour while sparing much of the healthy liver, which has its own separate blood supply.
An interventional radiologist makes a small puncture in an artery, usually at the top of the leg, and passes a fine tube called a catheter up to the blood vessels of the liver, guided by X-ray pictures and dye. The chemotherapy and the blocking material are released into the vessels feeding the tumour.
TACE is used when surgery or other curative treatments are not possible. For most people it is given to control the cancer, relieve symptoms or keep the disease in check, sometimes to keep a tumour stable while waiting for a liver transplant. It is usually not a cure on its own, and it is not suitable if the cancer has spread outside the liver or if the liver or kidneys are not working well enough. The decision is made by a specialist liver cancer team (a multidisciplinary team, or MDT).
Types, options & approaches
There may be different ways to do this. The right approach depends on the clinical question and your circumstances.
TACE vs other liver tumour options
| Option | Main aim | When considered |
|---|---|---|
| TACE | Control / bridge | Surgery not possible; tumour confined to liver |
| Thermal ablation | Can be curative if small | Small tumours, often under 3 cm |
| Surgery / transplant | Potential cure | Selected patients fit enough |
| Systemic drugs | Control widespread disease | Cancer spread beyond the liver |
These are often used in combination and the right choice is made by a liver cancer team. This table is a simplified guide, not a recommendation.
Preparing for your procedure
- Your case is discussed by a liver cancer team, who confirm TACE is the right treatment and explain its aim for you.
- Tell the team about allergies, especially to contrast dye, and about asthma.
- Blood tests check your liver function, kidney function and clotting before each session.
- List all your medicines, including blood thinners and diabetes medicines, as some are paused.
- You will usually be asked not to eat for a few hours beforehand, and a drip is placed for fluids and medicines.
- Arrange time off and support at home, as flu-like effects and tiredness are common for a week or two.
- Tell the team if you are or might be pregnant, as the treatment uses X-rays and chemotherapy.
What happens
You lie on an X-ray table and the skin over the groin (or sometimes the wrist) is cleaned and numbed with local anaesthetic. You are usually given sedation to keep you comfortable. The radiologist punctures the artery and passes a fine catheter up to the blood vessels supplying the liver, watching on a screen.
Dye is injected to map the tumour's blood supply. The catheter is then guided as close to the tumour's feeding vessels as possible, and the chemotherapy and the blocking material (beads or gel) are released into them. More dye confirms the supply has been blocked.
The catheter is removed and the puncture is pressed firmly or sealed. You lie flat for several hours so the artery seals, and you are usually kept in for a night or two for monitoring and pain relief. A scan a few weeks later checks how the tumour has responded, and further sessions are often planned.
Is this procedure right for me?
A good consultation should explore whether it's the right choice for you now — including reasons to wait or consider something else.
May not be suitable if…
- The cancer has spread outside the liver, into major blood vessels, lymph nodes or other organs.
- The liver is badly damaged or not working well enough to tolerate the treatment.
- Poor kidney function or a severe, unmanaged contrast dye allergy.
- When surgery, transplant, ablation or systemic drugs would offer a better outcome for you.
Delay or rearrange if…
- You have an active infection or are generally unwell.
- Your liver or kidney blood tests are too abnormal and need optimising first.
- Blood thinners have not been adjusted or recent results are missing.
- You might be pregnant, as the treatment uses X-rays and chemotherapy.
- Your case has not yet been discussed by the liver cancer team.
Alternatives to discuss
- Thermal ablation (radiofrequency or microwave) for small tumours, sometimes with curative intent.
- Surgery to remove part of the liver, or liver transplant, in selected patients.
- Systemic cancer drugs (such as targeted or immunotherapy treatments) if the cancer has spread.
- Radioembolisation (SIRT/TARE) in some cases.
- Best supportive care focused on symptoms if active treatment is not appropriate.
Before you decide
Use this as a shared-decision checklist. The aim is not just “can this be done?”, but whether it is right for you, now, with the risks and alternatives clearly understood.
What matters most to me?
Think about symptoms, daily life, work, caring responsibilities, sport, fertility, travel, appearance and anxiety — the right choice depends on your priorities, not just the medical facts.
What are all my options?
Ask about waiting, monitoring, medicines, rehabilitation, a smaller or larger procedure, a different test, NHS referral, or a second opinion where that would help.
What would make me pause?
Active infection, pregnancy, unstable medical problems, smoking, medicines that increase bleeding, poor support at home, or feeling pressured are all reasons to slow down and get tailored advice.
What happens if I do nothing today?
For some problems, waiting is safe; for others, delay can make treatment harder. A good consultation should explain the trade-off in plain English.
Comfort, sedation or contrast choices
If local anaesthetic, sedation, contrast or pain relief is used, ask what is planned, why, and what it means afterwards.
Benefits
- Can shrink or control liver tumours when surgery is not possible
- Targets the tumour through its own blood supply while sparing much of the healthy liver
- Can relieve symptoms and help some people live longer
- Can keep a tumour stable while waiting for a liver transplant (a bridge)
- Can be repeated and combined with other treatments
- Avoids a major operation and a large surgical wound
Risks & complications
- Flu-like symptoms a few days afterwards, feeling unwell with aches and a mild fever (post-embolisation syndrome), often for 1 to 2 weeks
- Pain in the right side of the tummy and feeling sick for a few days
- Tiredness for a couple of weeks
- Bruising or soreness at the puncture site
- Temporary worsening of liver blood tests
- Infection, sometimes forming a collection (abscess) in the liver
- A larger collection of blood at the puncture site, or a mild allergy to the dye
- Temporary kidney upset from the dye or chemotherapy
- Liver failure, more likely if the liver is already badly damaged
- Damage to the gallbladder, stomach or bowel if blocking material reaches the wrong vessel
- A serious allergic reaction to the dye, or significant kidney injury
- Very rarely, a life-threatening complication
The most important factor is how well your liver is already working: TACE puts extra strain on the liver, so in people with poor liver function it can do harm, which is why a specialist team selects patients carefully. Be clear with your team about whether the aim is to control the cancer or to bridge to transplant, rather than to cure it, and ask what they expect from each session and how many you may need.
Published figures to discuss
Outcomes vary widely with the type and stage of cancer, how well the liver is working and how the tumour responds, so reliable single survival or success percentages cannot be quoted here. Honest survival figures should come from your own specialist team, who know your individual situation. Post-embolisation syndrome, however, is common and worth expecting.
| Figure | Reported range | How to interpret it | Source / confidence |
|---|---|---|---|
| Post-embolisation syndrome | Common (a large share of patients) after TACE | Flu-like illness, tummy pain, nausea and tiredness, usually settling within 1 to 2 weeks. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Liver decompensation after TACE | Uncommon to common depending on baseline liver function and tumour burden | Ascites, jaundice, encephalopathy or worsening clotting after treatment needs urgent review. | Guide sourcesClinical context |
| Incomplete tumour response or recurrence | Common over time | TACE often controls rather than cures liver cancer and may need repeat sessions or another treatment. | NHS (UHS) - Having a transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)uhs.nhs.ukSource-linked context |
| Non-target embolisation or bile-duct/gallbladder injury | Rare but recognised | Careful angiography and technique reduce risk but cannot remove it. | NHS (UHS) - Having a transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)uhs.nhs.ukSource-linked context |
These are literature figures, not a personalised prediction. Your own risks and likely benefits depend on your circumstances, your health, and how your care is carried out and followed up.
What happens afterwards
There is no large wound to heal, only a small artery puncture, but most people feel unwell for a week or two afterwards with flu-like effects as the treated tumour settles. You are usually kept in hospital for a night or two.
- Feeling generally unwell with aches and a mild fever for several days
- Pain in the right upper tummy and some nausea for a few days
- Tiredness lasting a couple of weeks
- Bruising at the puncture site that fades over a week or two
- Waiting a few weeks for the scan that shows how the tumour responded
Aftercare
- Take the pain relief and anti-sickness medicines you are given as directed.
- Keep the puncture site clean and dry and leave the dressing on as advised.
- Drink plenty of fluids to help your kidneys, unless told otherwise.
- Rest and build activity back gradually as the flu-like effects settle.
- Watch for a high or persistent fever, which can signal infection and should be reported.
- Restart paused medicines, including blood thinners and diabetes medicines, only when told to.
- Attend the follow-up scan and clinic so your response and next steps are reviewed.
- Pain relief and anti-sickness medicines collected and understood
- Time off work and support at home for a week or two
- The cancer team or unit contact number for fever, severe pain or puncture problems
- A note of which medicines to stop and restart and when
- The date of the follow-up scan and clinic appointment
- A thermometer to check for fever at home
⚠ Get urgent help if…
- A high fever, shivering or feeling very unwell (possible infection or liver abscess)
- Severe or worsening tummy pain not controlled by your usual pain relief
- Yellowing of the skin or eyes, confusion or drowsiness (possible liver problem)
- Persistent vomiting or being unable to keep fluids down
- Fresh or heavy bleeding from the puncture site (lie down, press firmly and call for help)
- The leg beyond the puncture becoming cold, pale, numb or very painful
- A rash, facial or lip swelling or wheeze suggesting a delayed dye reaction
Who to contact: your clinician, clinic or test provider first (keep their number to hand). For urgent advice when you can't reach them, call NHS 111. In an emergency, call 999.
General guidance — it doesn't replace the specific advice your radiologist gives you.
Results & realistic expectations
A good response means the treated tumour shrinks or stops growing, which is checked on a scan a few weeks after each session. TACE can control the cancer, relieve symptoms, help some people live longer, and keep a tumour stable while waiting for a transplant.
For most people TACE is not a cure on its own. It usually controls the disease rather than removing it, and the cancer can grow again or appear elsewhere in the liver, which is why treatment is often repeated and combined with other approaches. Your team will be honest about whether the aim is control, a bridge to transplant, or, in selected small tumours, part of a treatment plan with the hope of cure.
How long the benefit lasts varies a great deal between people and depends on the type and size of the cancer, how well the liver is working and how the tumour responds. TACE is often repeated when tumours regrow, and it is one part of a longer-term plan managed by the liver cancer team. Regular scans track whether further treatment is needed.
Related tests, treatments or support
TACE is frequently combined with other treatments. It may be used alongside thermal ablation for small tumours, before or while waiting for a liver transplant, or with newer systemic cancer drugs. The liver cancer team decides how to sequence these for the best chance of controlling the disease.
Follow-up & long-term care
You stay under a liver cancer team. A scan a few weeks after each session checks the tumour's response, and liver blood tests are monitored. Further TACE sessions or other treatments are planned from these results. Report fever, severe pain, jaundice or puncture-site problems straight away.
- Repeat TACE sessions when tumours regrow, as decided by the team
- Regular scans to monitor the liver and look for new tumours
- Ongoing liver and kidney blood tests
- Review of other treatments, such as ablation, transplant assessment or systemic drugs
Repeat, follow-on and what comes next
- TACE is often repeated when tumours regrow rather than being a one-off treatment.
- It is commonly combined with ablation, transplant or systemic drugs over time.
- Response is judged on scans and the plan is adjusted, sometimes switching to another treatment.
- Disease can progress despite treatment, and the aim may shift towards symptom control.
Ask what happens if the result is unclear or needs repeating, and what is included if further tests or follow-up are needed.
What good aftercare looks like
- Clear management of post-embolisation syndrome with pain relief and anti-sickness medicines.
- Written warning signs and a named contact for fever, severe pain, jaundice or puncture problems.
- A planned follow-up scan and clinic review to assess response and decide next steps.
- Ongoing care within the liver cancer team, with the plan adjusted over time.
What affects the cost
Costs vary a great deal between people and providers, and we don't publish prices. What matters is understanding what drives the cost and making sure your quote is complete. The main things that affect it:
- The type of TACE used (conventional or drug-eluting beads)
- The number of sessions needed over time
- The chemotherapy drug and the beads or gel used
- Sedation, the hospital stay and monitoring after each session
- Follow-up scans to check the tumour's response
- The interventional radiologist's fee, the facility fee and the wider cancer team's input
- The interventional radiologist's fee and the facility fee
- Chemotherapy, beads or gel, contrast dye and sedation
- The expected hospital stay and number of sessions
- Follow-up scans and clinic reviews to assess response
- What happens, and what it costs, if further sessions or other treatments are needed
- What is covered if a complication needs further care
On the NHS? TACE is available on the NHS for suitable patients when a specialist liver cancer team recommends it; private treatment is sometimes used for speed or choice, but the same careful selection should apply.
You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including reports, follow-up and what happens if the result is inconclusive — before you decide.
Consent traps and marketing red flags
These are not small details. They are often where patients lose choice, time to reflect, or realistic expectations.
Consent traps
- Presenting TACE as a cure when for most people the aim is control or a bridge to transplant.
- Not explaining post-embolisation syndrome and the likely need for repeat sessions.
- Not being clear about the risk to the liver, especially if liver function is already poor.
- No discussion of alternatives such as ablation, surgery, transplant or systemic drugs.
- No written warning signs for fever, severe pain, jaundice or puncture-site problems.
Marketing red flags
- Promising a cure or guaranteed shrinkage of liver cancer.
- Offering TACE without involvement of a specialist liver cancer team.
- Downplaying post-embolisation syndrome or the need for repeated treatment.
- Quoting survival figures that are not specific to your cancer and liver function.
Choosing a specialist safely
- Check the radiologist is on the GMC Specialist Register for this area.
- Make sure they work at a CQC-registered service, and look for membership of the relevant Royal College or professional body.
- You're entitled to time to consider and to have your questions answered before you agree — the radiologist who looks after you should explain it, not a salesperson.
- Be wary of pressure: time-limited offers or deposits taken before you've had time to think are red flags, not bargains.
- You're entitled to your total cost in writing — including any follow-up — before you decide.
Questions to ask your medical professional
Take this to your consultation. A good radiologist will welcome every one of these.
- Is the aim of my treatment to control the cancer, to bridge to a transplant, or to try to cure it?
- How many sessions might I need, and how will you judge whether it is working?
- How well is my liver working, and does that change my risk?
- What are the chances the tumour shrinks, stays stable or keeps growing?
- Will TACE be combined with ablation, surgery, transplant or other drugs?
- What should I watch for at home that means I need to call the team?
- Are you on the GMC Specialist Register for this area, and which Royal College or professional body are you a member of?
- Will you be the radiologist who carries out my procedure, and who looks after me afterwards?
- What are the risks for someone like me, and how often do your own patients have a problem or need it repeated or redone?
- What does a realistic result look like — and what can this procedure not achieve?
- What are my options, including waiting, doing nothing for now, or choosing a different approach?
- Can I have written information, results and aftercare instructions in a format I can use, including any accessibility or communication support I need?
- What is the total cost in writing, including any follow-ups, and how much time do I have to decide?
Frequently asked questions
Is TACE available on the NHS?
Will TACE cure my liver cancer?
Why do I feel so unwell afterwards?
How many sessions will I need?
Who is not suitable for TACE?
Is the chemotherapy the same as having chemotherapy through a drip?
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How we made this page
Medically reviewed by a GMC-registered consultant. Written in plain English, checked against NHS, NICE, GMC and relevant Royal College / specialist-society guidance, and kept under review. No clinic paid to appear on this page, and we publish no pricing. This is general information to help you prepare — it is not a substitute for advice from your own clinician. How we review our guides →
Source hierarchy: UK regulator and NHS/NICE guidance first, then relevant Royal College or specialist-society guidance, then peer-reviewed evidence for procedure-specific figures where available.
Sources & standards: Cancer Research UK - Embolisation for liver cancer (TAE/TACE) Liver Cancer UK - Embolisation, TACE and TARE/SIRT RadiologyInfo - Transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE) BSIR - What is interventional radiology? NHS (UHS) - Having a transarterial chemoembolisation (TACE)
Reviews reflect patients' experience of care, not clinical outcomes. For procedure volumes and outcome data see PHIN.
Last medically reviewed 2026-09-21. Spotted something wrong or out of date? Report an error in this guide.
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