Embolization of uterine artery in terminal stage cervical cancers

Ligation of the hypogastric artery has been a standard and effective procedure in controlling massive bleeding in advanced cervical carcinoma. The authors wanted to demonstrate the selective use of embolization of hypogastric or uterine artery to achieve the same end result--the stoppage of vaginal bleeding. In a number of cases, surgical approach may not be appropriate either because of the critically ill patient or because of the highly deformed pelvic anatomy due to radiotherapy or to the recurrence of cancerous tissue. As an alternative therapy, we used selective embolization of the uterine artery in eight patients. In all the patients, embolization served to control bleeding. As the bleeding was brought under control, a gradual recovery of the patient was generally observed. The most common side-effect was temporary severe pain related to ischemia of tumoral tissue. Embolization may be regarded as an effective procedure, which can be used to control massive bleeding in selected cervical cancer patients.