LIVER CANCER AND TARE (Y-90 MICROSPHERE) THERAPY
Is this a new method of treatment?
No. It’s been used for a long time in the West and also in Far East, where liver cancer is very common. But it’s use have become more widespread in the last couple of years given the changes in the structure of the drug and the application technique.
What is a radioactively marked microsphere?
These are very small corpuscles. A radioactive substance called Yitrium-90 (Y-90) is inserted inside these microspheres. For the treatment of liver cancer, millions of these microspheres are put inside the cancerous tissue to radiate it from within. Since they are placed directly inside the cancerous tissue, the healthy tissue is unaffected. This way, cancer can be eliminated by applying very high levels of radiation
Which patients can this treatment be applied?
It can be applied to the patients with liver cancer or patients whose cancers metastatised into the liver. This process is only effective against cancerous tissue in the liver. Patient’s doctor, radiologists and nuclear medicine doctors collectively decide whether a patient is eligible for treatment.
Who applies the treatment?
This treatment is definitely a teamwork. After a joint decision by patient’s doctor, radiologists and nuclear medicine doctors, the treatment is applied by radiologists and nuclear medicine doctors together.
What kind of medical preparations are necessary before the treatment?
First, the patient’s story and other information about the patient is collected. The patient is asked to provide some additional blood tests and if necessary PET scintigraphy. In this way, it is decided whether the patient is eligible for treatment. After that, the patient is taken in for a process called angiogram in the radiology department. With this approximately 1-hour process, liver’s veins and cancerous tissues are mapped. Y-90 marked microspheres shouldn’t leak outside the liver. With this primary process it is analyzed whether or not there’s a leakage.
How are Y-90 microspheres applied?
Radiologists place a thin tube called catheter into the liver’s artery. Afterwards, an amount of Y-90 microspheres calculated uniquely for each patient is sent into the cancerous tissue via this catheter. Millions of microspheres are sent at a time. This process usually takes 60-90 minutes. During this, patient can either sleep or stay awake and communicate with the team.
How do Y-90 microspheres operate?
Radiation is used for the treatment of cancer for a long time. This method uses the liver’s unique vascularity to radiate the cancerous tissue from within. Thus the healthy tissue is unaffected. This enables us to apply high levels of radiation to the cancerou tissue and remove the cancer completely.
What kind of benefits do Y-90 microspheres have?
This treatment became a new hope for the patients who can’t be treated with other methods. There have been significant improvements in the cancerous tissues of the patients. These patients who couldn’t be operated on before, have become eligible for surgery.
Should I quit chemotherapy before starting Y-90 treatment?
Usually chemotherapy is stopped before starting this treatment. However, this decision is made by patient’s doctor and oncologists.
What am I going to do after the treatment?
Patients are usually hospitalized for a couple of days after the treatment. Scintigraphy is taken to see the distribution of Y-90 microspheres inside the liver. There may be additional minor precautions in the first 24 hours because of radioactive substance intake.
When can I go back home?
Under normal circumstances, no additional precaution against radiation is necessary and the patient can go home immediately. They can also go back to work after a couple of days. But they are hospitalized for a couple of days first and kept under observation. Additional blood tests may be done if necessary for the patient to be discharged safely.
What kind of side-effects does it have?
It may cause some side-effects like any other treatment method. There can be stomach ache and nausea. But these last for a very short time and are treatable. Some patients can experience mild fever and tiredness.
What kind of complications can arise?
Y-90 microspheres can damage other organs because of their high radiation levels. Caution is needed to make sure that they don’t leak into other organs like stomach, pancreas and intestines.
Will I lose my hair?
No, it doesn’t cause hair loss.
Are there any other things that I should be careful about?
This treatment can’t be applied to pregnant women. Women shouldn’t breastfeed for 2 weeks after the treatment.
Should I change my diet?
No, you can eat and drink whatever you want. Make sure to stay hydrated after the treatment.
