Isolated limb perfusion (ILP) is a regional therapy for melanoma.

It is used to treat advanced melanomas in your arm or leg. ILP may be appropriate for you if excision is not feasible without significant tissue damage or if it seems unlikely to keep your cancer from spreading.

What Is Isolated Limb Perfusion?

If you have melanoma in your arm or leg, isolated limb perfusion can deliver a high-dose of chemotherapy directly to your affected limb. This complex procedure allows you to receive a much more targeted and higher dose of chemotherapy than you’d be able to get intravenously.

What Should I Expect During Isolated Limb Perfusion?

During Isolated Limb Perfusion, a surgeon will isolate your limb by surgically placing canullas (thin tubes) in the arteries and veins of your affected arm or leg. This cuts off blood circulation to your limb.

The procedure requires a perfusion team and a perfusion circuit to deliver very high doses of a chemotherapy drug directly to the affected arm or leg for an hour. By isolating your arm or leg from your circulatory system, we can administer chemotherapy under mildly hyperthermic (heated) conditions without the associated side effects to the rest of your body. After the treatment period, chemotherapy is flushed from your arm or leg and circulation is re-established.

At Penn Medicine, the heart and vascular team assists the oncologic surgery team during ILP since it is a complex vascular procedure.

Who Is a Candidate for Isolated Limb Perfusion?

You might be a candidate for ILP if you have in-transit melanoma or melanoma that has multiple subcutaneous (under the skin) tumor nodules throughout your arm or leg and away from the primary melanoma site

Aside from ILP, we have several options — both surgical and medical — to treat in-transit melanoma. These include immunotherapy or targeted therapy, as well as local injectable therapies.

Learn more about other surgical options used to treat melanoma at Penn Medicine

National Cancer Institute Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center badge on top of shot of hospital

Rated “exceptional” by The National Cancer Institute

Penn Medicine’s Abramson Cancer Center is a world leader in cancer research, patient care, and education. Our status as a national leader in cancer care is reflected in our continuous designation as a Comprehensive Cancer Center by the National Cancer Institute (NCI) since 1973, one of 7 such centers in the United States. The ACC is also a member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, one of a select few cancer centers in the U.S., that are working to promote equitable access to high-quality, advanced cancer care.

Related specialties

Diverse team of doctors having a discussion

Our doctors

Our providers work with you to plan and deliver exceptional treatment and personalized care.

Panoramic shot of Penn Medicine's downtown campus

Locations

Our hospitals, multispecialty medical centers, pharmacies, labs and more offer outstanding, personalized care for patients all across the region.

Schedule an appointment

We can help you schedule an appointment or you can search our directory of specialists.