"Embolization Before Ablation of Renal Cell Carcinoma (EMBARC)"

Trans-arterial embolization (TAE) is a minimally-invasive procedure in which the tumor-feeding arteries are catheterized under x-ray guidance and therapeutically occluded. TAE of the kidney is routinely performed in clinical practice for traumatic or iatrogenic injury or to de-vascularize tumors such as angiomyolipomas, oncocytomas, and RCC. The procedure has a long clinical history of success with a very low major complication rate. TAE of RCC with or without percutaneous cryoablation (PA) has been described in retrospective case series as a mechanism to destroy the tumor, reduce bleeding complications from PA, or improve symptoms of RCC such as pain or hematuria. However, these findings have yet to be confirmed in a rigorous, prospective fashion.