Updated: 8/12/2009 11:35:36 PM
A cancer surgeon at UT Medical Center in Knoxville is making history by using a rare procedure to fight advanced melanoma.
Dr. James M. Lewis, Assistant Professor of Surgery for the Division of Surgical Oncology at UT Medical Center, has performed the Isolated Limb Infusion procedure on two patients.
Lewis said the technique was invented in 1994. The medical center adopted the procedure this January.
ILI is performed on patients with recurring melanoma or sarcoma that is confined to a limb.
Blood flow to the diseased limb is restricted. A catheter is lowered into the blocked off area. Then, high doses of chemotherapy are released into the limb.
"We're able to push and pull and circulate the chemotherapy through that limb without the chemotherapy going into the whole system--the whole body," said Dr. Lewis.
ILI's direct contact to the limb works better than the normal chemotherapy process, according to Dr. Lewis.
Dillard Day of Lynch, Kentucky had the procedure performed on his leg in March. He has battled melanoma that was spreading on his leg for nearly 16 years.
"This is the first time I've been to the doctor in three months and that's great. I was going about every other week," said Day.
"Right now, we have no sign of recurrence," said Dr. Lewis, speaking of Day's improvement after surgery.
Nationwide, 40-60% of the ILI patients show positive response to the treatment.
