Radioembolization Y-92: A Breakthrough Treatment for Liver Cancer

Radioembolization Y-92 Alamogordo

When you’ve been diagnosed with liver cancer, you may feel overwhelmed by the idea of surgery, chemotherapy, or radiation therapy. Fortunately, there are other options that can give you the same results without any of the side effects or painful recovery times associated with more invasive procedures. Radioembolization has been available since 1996, but only recently have hospitals started using it as an alternative to chemotherapy and surgery for liver cancer. Read on to learn about radioembolization Y-92 and how it works, how it can improve your quality of life, and how it could save your life when liver cancer treatment is otherwise ineffective.

What is radioembolization?
Radioembolization is a minimally invasive procedure that combines embolization and radiation therapy to treat liver cancer. Tiny glass or resin beads filled with the radioactive isotope yttrium Y-92 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor. Radioembolization can be used as a primary treatment or in combination with other treatments such as surgery and chemotherapy. Radioembolization is also an option for patients who cannot have surgery due to their medical condition.

How does radioembolization work?
The radioembolization procedure is done using a catheter that goes through the femoral artery and travels to the site of the tumor. Tiny glass or resin beads filled with radioactive material are then injected into the vessel feeding the tumor. The radiation kills liver cancer cells over time, reducing the size of the tumor. This minimally invasive procedure has been found to be a more effective treatment than traditional surgery and chemo.

What are the benefits of radioembolization?
Radiation treatment can be harmful to the liver, so radioembolization is a great alternative. Radioembolization can be done as an outpatient procedure, which means you don’t have to spend time in the hospital. The treatment is effective and has few side effects. Radioembolization is a breakthrough treatment for liver cancer because it’s minimally invasive and reduces many of the harmful side effects of radiation therapy. Radioembolization also has fewer complications than surgery.

Who is a candidate for radioembolization?
The procedure is used to treat liver cancer. Radioembolization also known as Y-90 treatment, is a minimally invasive procedure that combines embolization and radiation therapy to treat liver cancer. Tiny glass or resin beads filled with the radioactive isotope yttrium Y-92 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor. The idea behind it is that if you can stop the blood supply of a tumor, this will lead to its eventual death.

What are the side effects of radioembolization?
The side effects of Radioembolization are usually mild and can include nausea, diarrhea, fatigue, low blood pressure, and muscle pain. Some patients may also experience a skin rash or bruising under the skin at the site where the yttrium beads were injected. It is important to know that these side effects will subside soon after treatment. In rare cases, severe allergic reactions to the yttrium beads can occur.

How long does the treatment take?
The treatment usually takes about one hour, but it can take up to three hours depending on the size of the tumor and the location. At a hospital, an interventional radiologist inserts a catheter into an artery in your groin or arm and threads it through your body until it reaches the liver. The doctor then injects tiny beads of Radioembolization Y-92 into the tumor. The radioactive material destroys cancer cells by causing them to die or become so abnormal that they cannot grow or spread.

How many treatments are required?
In New Mexico, the treatments are given over a period of five days. The first day, four rounds of Radioembolization Y-92 Alamogordo are administered and on each of the next four days, one more round is given.

What is the success rate of radioembolization?
Radioembolization is a minimally invasive procedure that combines embolization and radiation therapy to treat liver cancer. Tiny glass or resin beads filled with the radioactive isotope yttrium Y-92 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor. The body’s immune system then carries the radioactive particles to the tumor, where they kill cancer cells. Radioembolization has an overall success rate of about 60%.