Aortography in the diagnosis of cancer

The role of angiography in the diagnosis of cancer includes the direct visualization of the tumor, the demonstration of its size, extent and possible metastasis. The criteria which are used to judge the prognosis of a tumor include the size, angiographic appearance, relationship to adjacent organs and tissues, growth or extension into draining veins and the presence or absence of metastasis. Chemotherapeutic agents can be instilled through the same catheters that are used for angiography and these catheters may be left in place from five to eight days.