A cancer diagnosis can feel overwhelming — but at Clarity Care in Kansas City, you don’t have to face it alone. Our interventional oncology specialists offer advanced, minimally invasive procedures designed to complement your existing cancer care, improve your comfort, and enhance your quality of life.
From long-term access for chemotherapy to targeted tumor therapy and advanced liver cancer treatment, our team provides effective, image-guided solutions with less pain, shorter recovery times, and lower risks than traditional surgery.
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Implanted under the chest skin, a port provides a safe and reliable way to inject medicine and take blood samples. This device is connected to a catheter that provides easier and less painful access for those who need frequent intravenous treatments, transfusions, or blood draws.
Using advanced imaging, our interventional radiologists create a tiny incision — usually near the collarbone — and place the port beneath the skin, connecting it to a nearby vein. Once in place, it provides direct, reliable access to your bloodstream for medications and blood draws.
Port placement offers patients a smoother experience during cancer treatment. The procedure is quick, minimally invasive, and performed under local anesthesia. Patients benefit from fewer needle sticks, reduced irritation to their veins, and a much lower risk of infection compared to repeated IV access. Because the port can remain in place for the duration of therapy, it allows for more comfortable and consistent treatment sessions.
At Clarity Care, every port placement is performed with precision and care to ensure lasting comfort and confidence throughout your treatment journey.
Approximately half an inch thick and the diameter of quarter, the tiny port is hugely beneficial. This small metal or plastic device allows easy access to a vein for repeated access, sparing patients repeated and often painful needle sticks.
A port implantation is an outpatient procedure performed by an interventional radiologist while the patient is under light anesthesia. A small incision is made in the neck to access the vein using imaging as guidance. Another small incision is made in the chest, arm, or abdomen for port placement. After connecting the two via catheter, a pouch is created beneath the skin and the port is implanted.
An X-Ray is performed to ensure the port is in the correct location and the incisions are closed with dissolvable stitches or surgical adhesive. Recovery time for this procedure is relatively short and a slight bulge in the skin where the port was placed may be visible.
Going forward, needles can be inserted into the port’s silicone top or septum. This is followed by another needle that flushes the device to prevent blockages or blood clots. The site is then covered with a clear bandage to ensure symptoms of infection (like red streaks) are visible.
A port may be the right option for patients who:
The decision to place a medical port is between you and your provider. There are a variety of other factors that must be considered, including your specific medical condition, overall health, and procedure needs.
Ports provide a reliable and easily accessible site for medical treatments, eliminating the need for multiple needle sticks. They are more comfortable than external catheters and present a lower risk of complications than other methods of vascular access. Additionally, ports are designed for long term use and can stay in place for years, if necessary.
Like with any medical procedure or device, there are risks associated with the implantation of medical ports, including infection, thrombosis (blood clots), catheter malfunction or dislodgement, mechanical complications, bleeding or hematoma, and allergic reactions.
You can learn about Clarity Care’s financing options here.
Tumor ablation is a minimally invasive procedure that destroys cancer cells directly, without the need for open surgery. It’s often used to treat small tumors in the liver, kidney, lung, or bone, especially when surgery isn’t an option.
Tumor ablation works by using various methods to shrink or destroy tumor cells within the body. Specific techniques used depend on the type, size, and location of the tumor. The three main types of tumor ablation treatments are:
Tumor ablation is minimally invasive, requiring only a small incision or needle puncture. This means a reduction in potential complications. A targeted approach to tumors means less damage to surrounding tissue and a shorter, less painful recovery than compared with traditional surgical options.
Tumor ablation offers an effective, outpatient alternative to surgery with a much shorter recovery time. Because the treatment targets only the tumor, healthy tissue nearby remains largely unaffected. Most patients experience minimal discomfort and return home the same day. The procedure can also be repeated if new tumors appear, making it an adaptable solution for ongoing cancer management.
At Clarity Care, our specialists use the latest ablation technology to deliver safe, effective, and highly targeted treatments that preserve your health and quality of life.
There are various factors that must be weighed when determining if a patient is a candidate for tumor ablation. The type, size, location, and characteristics of the tumor, as well as the overall health of the patient must be considered. Ideally, tumor ablation should be performed on small tumors (approximately three to five centimeters in diameter) that are difficult to reach, non-metastatic, and localized.
Talk to your healthcare provider today to determine if tumor ablation is the right option for you.
Tumor ablation is a valuable means of treating tumors with a high success rate. Assuming tumors fall within the necessary criteria, this procedure can be effective at shrinking and destroying tumors, as well as preventing their reoccurrence.
Often used in conjunction with other procedure methods, like chemotherapy or surgery, tumor ablation can significantly improve overall patient outcomes.
Specific risks vary depending on the type of ablation used to treat tumors, but primary complications include bleeding, pain and discomfort, damage to surrounding structures (a risk minimized when using imaging technology for guidance), nerve injuries, skin burns and rarely blood clots and allergic reactions.
You can learn about Clarity Care’s financing options here.
Y-90 Radioembolization (also called Selective Internal Radiation Therapy) is an advanced, minimally invasive treatment for liver cancer. It delivers precise, internal radiation directly to the tumor while sparing surrounding healthy tissue.
Patients undergoing a Y90 procedure will receive a hepatic angiogram (imaging test) prior to surgery. This involves inserting a catheter through a blood vessel in the groin and guiding it to the blood vessels that supply the liver. Contrast dye is injected to visualize the blood vessels and identify the tumor feeding vessels.
Once the blood vessels feeding the tumor are identified, the Interventional Radiologist will map out the procedure plan to determine the appropriate dosage and activity level of the Y90 microspheres, small radioactive particles, to be administered.
During the procedure, the Y90 microspheres are injected through a catheter into the target blood vessels, lodging themselves into the tumor, and releasing a high dose of radiation to kill cancer cells.
After their injection, the catheter is removed, and pressure is applied to the insertion site to minimize bleeding. Following a few hours of observation, the patient is discharged.
Y-90 therapy provides a highly targeted way to treat liver tumors without surgery. Because the radiation acts locally, side effects are significantly reduced compared to external radiation. Patients often experience improved symptoms, reduced tumor size, and in some cases, the ability to undergo additional treatment such as surgery or transplantation. Recovery is typically quick, with most patients resuming normal activities within days.
Y90 can be an effective mode of procedure for patients with primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) or metastatic liver cancer (cancer that has spread to the liver from another site). Those who undergo Y90 should have some preserved liver function to tolerate the radiation and tumors that are confined to the liver or with limited spread.
The decision to undergo Y90 procedure will be made in conjunction with a healthcare provider that can evaluate your individual needs. Talk to your doctor today to find out if Y90 is right for you.
Y90 has proven to be an effective therapy for the procedure of certain types of liver cancer. From controlling or shrinking tumor size to improved survival rates, Y90 is unrivaled. When used in conjunction with other therapies, like surgery or chemotherapy, Y90 can help eradicate residual disease and improve the quality of life for those suffering from liver cancer.
Like any medical intervention, Y90 poses potential risks. Following the procedure, patients are monitored closely to assess procedure response and manage potential side effects. Complications include radiation induced liver disease, non-target embolization, infection, pain and discomfort, nausea and vomiting, and fatigue.
You can learn about Clarity Care’s financing options here.
At Clarity Care, we believe that healthcare should be personal, precise, and empowering. As your trusted partner in cancer care, our mission is to provide clarity and confidence through every step of treatment — from diagnosis to recovery.
Our board-certified interventional radiologists use state-of-the-art imaging and minimally invasive techniques to provide treatments that fit seamlessly into your oncology plan. We’re committed to helping you achieve better outcomes with:
At Clarity Care, you’ll receive the expertise of a hospital-level team with the comfort and attentiveness of personalized outpatient care.
If you or a loved one is facing cancer, you deserve advanced treatment options that prioritize your comfort and recovery. Schedule a consultation with Clarity Care in Kansas City today to learn how port placement, tumor ablation, and Y-90 radioembolization can support your cancer care and help you move forward with hope and healing.