| Conventional TACE |
Transarterial chemoembolisation - a procedure whereby a chemotherapeutic agent is mixed into slurry and injected via a catheter, locally at a tumour site. |
| DC Bead |
Biocompatibles' proprietary Drug Eluting Bead product developed for loading with the chemotherapeutic agent by the hospital. This product received CE Mark regulatory approval in November 2003 for the treatment of malignant hypervascularised tumours. |
| Doxorubicin |
A widely used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of a large number of cancers. It is a powerful cytotoxic drug that is not cell cycle specific. |
| FDA |
Food and Drug Administration of the United States. |
| HCC |
Hepatocellular Carcinoma, primary cancer of the liver. |
| IDE |
Investigational Device Exemption - The approval by the FDA to carry out a clinical trial in the US with an unapproved device. |
| Irinotecan |
A widely used chemotherapeutic agent for the treatment of colorectal cancer. It is a topoisomerase I inhibitor that interferes with DNA replication during cell division, leading to cell death. |
| Drug Eluting Irinotecan Bead Clinical Trials |
A family of clinical trials sponsored by Biocompatibles for the evaluation of Drug Eluting Beads for the treatment of hepatic colorectal metastases. |
| Metastatic disease |
The spread of a cancer from its original site (primary) to other locations within the body (secondary). In the case of colorectal cancer, the liver is the most common site of secondary tumours. |
| Phosphorylcholine |
A chemical group found in phospholipids in the membrane of cells. |
| PRECISION Bead |
Biocompatibles' proprietary Drug Eluting Bead product containing doxorubicin. |
| PRECISION Clinical Trials |
A family of clinical trials sponsored by Biocompatibles for the evaluation of the Drug Eluting Beads with Doxorubicin. |
| PRECISION TACE |
The use of either PRECISION Bead or DC Bead in the TACE procedure. PRECISION TACE results in a lower systemic drug exposure and more drug at the tumour site. |
