Head, neck, and brain tumor embolization.

The embolization of vascular tumors of the head, neck, and CNS has become an important adjunct to the surgical treatment of these tumors. The procedure has resulted in reduced morbidity and mortality and helps to facilitate the removal of many of these tumors. In tumors that are not amenable to surgical therapy, embolization may occasionally be used as the primary mode of treatment. These guidelines are to be used in quality improvement programs to assess head, neck, and brain tumor embolization procedures. The most important processes of care are patient selection, performing the procedure, and monitoring the patient. The outcome measures or indicators for these processes are indications, success rates, and complication rates. Outcome measures are assigned threshold levels.