Learn More About Interventional Oncology
Drug-Eluting Bead Embolization provides targeted cancer treatment directly to the tumor while minimizing exposure to the rest of the body.
Intra-arterial Yttrium-90 Radioembolization, known as Y-90, is a palliative treatment for patients with liver cancer that provides a higher dose of radiation compared to external therapies.
Conditions Treated
Primary Liver Cancer
Certain Metastatic Liver Tumors
Am I a Candidate for Interventional Oncology Treatment?
Cancers sensitive to radiation may be very effectively controlled with this therapy.
How Does the Procedure Work?
Healthy liver tissue can easily be damaged by radiation. Radioembolization provides targeted treatment only to tumors in the liver with little risk to the healthy tissue or surrounding organs.
Radioembolization is very similar to chemoembolization except that radioembolization delivers tiny radioactive microspheres directly into tumors through a catheter threaded into the liver’s hepatic artery via an anesthetized artery in the thigh. The microspheres contain the radioactive isotope, Y90, which become lodged inside the tumor and emit their radiation from within.
The radiation contained in Y90 has a short half-life – it is essentially gone in just over 2.5 days and carries no significant risk to others around the patient.
After the Procedure
Compared with traditional cancer treatments, there are fewer side effects from this treatment. Typically, fatigue for seven to 10 days is experienced.
It is important to note that this therapy is a palliative therapy not a curative treatment. With this therapy, patients benefit by extending their lives with an improved quality of life.
