Survival after embolization of the internal iliac arteries in ten patients with severe haematuria due to recurrent pelvic carcinoma

Therapeutic embolization of the internal iliac arteries is a well established technique for controlling severe haematuria caused by malignant disease, but there are few reports of the long term outcome. We performed iliac artery embolization procedures on 10 patients with severe haematuria secondary to widespread inoperable pelvic carcinoma, between 1979 and 1992, and have followed these patients until death. Prior to embolization, the mean transfusion requirement was 12 units (range 2–39 units). Survival ranged from 12 h to 31 months (median 3.84 months). Five of the nine patients who survived more than 12 h had complete relief of haematuria until their deaths, and only two patients required further blood transfusions. Our conclusions are that haematuria from inoperable pelvic carcinoma is usually controlled by therapeutic arterial embolization and that the duration of haematuria relief is usually life long.