Interventional oncology: new options for interstitial treatments and intravascular approaches

Recent research in tumor metabolism has uncovered cancer‐cell‐specific pathways that cancer cells depend on for energy production. 3‐Bromopyruvate (3‐BrPA), a specific alkylating agent and potent ATP inhibitor, has been shown both in vitro and in vivo to disrupt some of these cancer‐specific metabolic pathways, thereby leading to the demise of the cancer cells through apoptosis. 3‐BrPA has been successfully tested in animal models of liver cancer. For optimal results, 3‐BrPA can be delivered intra‐arterially, with minimal toxicity to the surrounding hepatic parenchyma. In the era of development of drugs with lower toxicity for the treatment of liver cancer, inhibition of cancer metabolism with 3‐BrPA appears to be a very attractive potent novel therapeutic option.