Y-90 radioembolization
Yttrium-90 radioembolization, also called selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT), treats liver tumours from the inside. Tiny radioactive beads are injected into the arteries that feed the tumour, so the radiation is concentrated in the tumour instead of passing through the body.
Who it may suit
- Selected primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)
- Liver metastases from bowel cancer and some other cancers that are mainly in the liver
- Patients with adequate liver function when surgery is not possible
What happens
- Review of scans, liver function tests and previous treatment
- A mapping angiogram to check the liver’s blood supply and that treatment is safe
- Treatment through a catheter, usually from the groin or wrist
- Follow-up scans and blood tests to check the response and liver function
About 2 to 3 weeks, as mapping and treatment are usually one to two weeks apart.
Available at some Canadian cancer centres, often with a wait. In China it is offered at a limited number of hospitals.
Things to know. Possible side effects include tiredness, abdominal pain, nausea, liver injury and radiation injury to the stomach, bowel or lungs. It is not always better than surgery, ablation or drug treatment. We are still confirming which hospitals currently provide it to international patients, and will tell you honestly whether it is available for your case.
Why an introduction matters
Many of China’s leading specialists work in busy public hospitals without international patient offices. They rarely answer enquiries from abroad directly, and a file sent without an introduction often goes unread. Cases usually reach them through people they already know and trust. Our team on the ground makes that introduction, presents your case properly in Chinese, and follows up until you have an answer.
Some programmes, especially stem-cell and other cell treatments, are experimental. We introduce them only if you ask and your own specialist agrees, and we never describe them as cures.