Treatment FAQ

what is a y90 radiation treatment

by Taurean Tremblay Published 2 years ago Updated 2 years ago
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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-90 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor.

Full Answer

What is the y90 procedure?

What is to be expected after the Radioembolization (Y90) radiology procedure?

  • The patient remains in the recovery room, until they are advised to return home after the procedure
  • One of the most common side effects of the procedure is pain, as blood supply to the treatment area is cut off. ...
  • Patient may experience nausea, vomiting, and fever after the procedure. ...

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What is a y90 procedure?

Radioembolization (Y90) 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-90 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor. This blocks the supply of blood to the cancer cells and delivers a ...

What to expect when having radiation therapy?

What to Expect During Radiation Therapy Treatment

  • Before Radiation Therapy. At Affiliated Oncologists, each treatment plan is created to meet the individual needs of the patient, but there are some steps that are taken for each patient.
  • During Radiation Therapy. There are two main types of radiation therapy: external beam radiation and internal radiation therapy.
  • After Radiation Therapy. ...

What is y90 therapy?

Y-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy is a minimally invasive procedure that combines embolization and radiation therapy to treat primary and secondary liver cancer. This form of treatment involves using tiny beads, called microspheres, that deliver radiation directly to tumors in the liver.

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Does Y-90 cure liver cancer?

Y-90 radiotherapy sends radiation directly into the blood vessels that feed the tumors. This treatment does not cure liver tumors. But, it often controls or shrinks them. After this therapy, your doctors may advise other options such as chemotherapy or surgery.

How long are you radioactive after Y-90?

Once in place, these work by radiating and destroying the surrounding tissue (tumor). These spheres will remain in the tumor and are not removed. The Y90 has a half-life of 64.2 hours. This means that it will be non-radioactive in about a month's time.

Is Y-90 chemo or radiation?

Y90 refers to the radioactive isotope yttrium90, which is inserted into tiny particles and used to deliver radiation directly to tumors via long, thin tubes called catheters.

What happens after the Y-90 procedure?

After Y-90 Radiotherapy Most patients have some side effects after the Y-90 treatment. These include pain, nausea, a low-grade fever, or chills. This is called post- embolization syndrome. You may have fevers for up to 1 week.

What is the success rate of Y-90?

Approximately 70 to 95 percent of the patients will see improvement in the liver and, depending on the type of liver cancer, it may improve survival rates.

Can you be around people after Y-90?

After treatment with Y-90 radioactive material, you will emit a small amount of radiation. These levels are quite low. After treatment, you have no special precautions to follow to limit exposing other people to radiation. It is safe for people to be around you.

Is the Y-90 palliative?

Y-90 radioembolisation is a palliative treatment for primary liver lesions and liver metastatic disease which uses ionising radiation to shrink tumours. It is generally used to relieve the symptoms of liver tumours rather than to cure the underlying condition.

Can radiation shrink liver tumors?

Liver cancer radiation treatment involves the use of high-energy rays that are precisely targeted to destroy cancerous cells and shrink tumors. However, external beam radiation therapy, which is a common form of radiation treatment for other types of cancer, is not usually recommended for treating liver cancer.

What type of radiation is Y-90?

Y90 is a pure beta-particle-emitter with a physical half-life of 64.2 hours, 0.94 MeV decay energy, and an average penetrative depth of 2.4mm in human tissue.

What is Y90 treatment?

In contrast to most nuclear medicine applications, Y90 is therapeutic and designed to treat rather than simply diagnose. It is estimated that 75% to 95% of patients see improvement from treatment, potentially extending their lives or improving survival rates. In this post we’ll take a look at Y90, what it is, and how it works.

What is Y90 therapy?

When is Y90 therapy indicated? Hepatic (liver) tumors (lesions or masses) may originate as a primary cancer of the liver such as hepatocellular cancer (90% of primary liver cancers) or may be another form of cancer that has metastasized to the region . There are many treatment options available for hepatic lesions.

What is the purpose of blockages in radioactive spheres?

The blockages are created to direct the delivery of the radioactive spheres and ensure that they lodge in the desired location. Once the embolization process is complete, the interventional radiologist will then administer a radioactive particulate that is very similar in size to the Y90.

What is the mapping process for Y90?

Y90 mapping and its role with radioembolization therapy. There is a great deal of planning prior to performing a Y90 radioembolization. Here are a few steps: The first step in the process is referred to as the “mapping”. The mapping process involves a very similar process to the radioembolization treatment itself;

What is Y90 used for?

Yttrium-90 (Y90) is a commonly used isotope within the nuclear medicine and radiation oncology communities for radiation therapy. When used for the treatment, Y90 is relied upon to provide a prescribed amount of radiation to a targeted area. Y90 is most commonly used during a radioembolization therapy, an internal radiation therapy.

What happens if more than 20% of the Y90 is administered?

If more than 20% of the administered mapping dose goes to the lungs, the patient may be required to undergo further embolization to ensure that the Y90 will be directed to the intended location within the tumor.The type of camera used is important.

How many people are diagnosed with Y90?

Disease incidence treated with Y90. Based on the available statistics for the United States, it is estimated that 1 in 3,210 individuals annually will be diagnosed with primary colorectal cancer that will metastasize to the liver. Similarly, 1 in 7,675 individuals each year will be diagnosed with primary liver cancer.

What is Y-90 SIRT?

What is Radioembolization (Y-90 SIRT)? Radioembolization, also called Y-90 Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT), is a minimally invasive liver-directed therapy for liver cancer that either arises from the liver (primary liver cancer or hepatocellular carcinoma) or has metastasized to the liver from other organs most commonly ...

What is the number for Y-90 SIRT?

Helping our patients get the care they need to live happy, healthy lives is our top priority at US Oncology. Call us at 855.870.4747 if you want to learn more about Y -90 SIRT treatment, or if you want to learn more about our locations, physicians, or insurance coverage.

What is the liver in radiation therapy?

Radioembolization combines the localized delivery of radiation therapy in the form of tiny beads and embolization to treat patients with liver cancer. The liver is unique because it has two blood supplies—the hepatic artery and the portal vein. The normal liver receives about 75 percent of its blood supply through the portal vein ...

How long after SIRT procedure can you return home?

S ince you will have received a radioactive treatment, there are some simple precautions that need to be taken during the first 24 hours following the SIRT procedure. Very importantly, there is no danger in returning home immediately after the procedure is completed.

How long does a radioactive microsphere stay in the artery?

After the catheter has been advanced into the artery that supplies the blood flow to the tumor (s), the radioactive microspheres are injected into the artery before reaching the tumor (s) where they will lodge and emit radiation for about two weeks.

How long does it take for a tumor to decay?

The whole procedure may take around 60–90 minutes.

Can liver cancer be treated with radiation?

This typically happens after one treatment but treatments can be repeated if necessary to achieve complete tumor destruction. The targeted nature and high level of precision of this therapy enable doctors to deliver more radiation to the liver tumors than would be possible using conventional external beam radiotherapy.

What is Y90 in medical terms?

Radioembolization (Y90) 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-90 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor. This blocks the supply of blood to the cancer cells ...

How does radiation help cancer patients?

This blocks the supply of blood to the cancer cells and delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor while sparing normal tissue. It can help extend the lives of patients with inoperable tumors and improve their quality of life.

What is the procedure called for a liver tumor?

Radioembolization is a combination of radiation therapy and a procedure called embolization to treat cancer of the liver. Embolization is a minimally invasive treatment in which blood vessels or malformations within blood vessels are occluded, or blocked off, to prevent blood flow. Radiation therapy is the use of a certain type of energy, ...

What is the treatment for cancer?

This form of treatment is called internal radiation therapy. In radioembolization, tiny glass or resin beads called microspheres are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor in order to block the supply of blood to the cancer cells. Once these microspheres, which are filled with the radioactive isotope yttrium Y-90, ...

What is the treatment for tumors that are placed directly inside the body called?

This form of treatment is called internal radiation therapy.

Does radioembolization have side effects?

Radioembolization produces fewer side effects compared to standard radiation therapy. No surgical incision is necessary—only a small nick in the skin that does not need stitches. A higher dose of radiation to the tumor is given during radioembolization than with standard external beam therapy.

What is Yttrium 90?

Yttrium-90 is a radioactive isotope, a chemical element that gives off radiation. Radiation is a type of energy that can damage, shrink, or kill cancer cells, including tumors. Our surgeons deliver this radiation by using ...

How long does radiation stay in a tumor?

The beads stay at the tumor site while radiation releases over about two weeks. After a month or so, the beads are no longer radioactive and stop releasing radiation.

How does a surgeon deliver radiation?

Our surgeons deliver this radiation by using special glass or resin beads, known as microspheres, that have yttrium-90 embedded in them. During therapy, surgeons use a thin tube, called a catheter, to insert beads into an artery or blood vessel near the tumor. The beads partially block blood flow to the tumor while the yttrium-90 releases radiation ...

What is Y-90?

Yttrium-90 (Y-90) is a radioactive substance. This means it gives off radiation. It is attached to tiny beads that are smaller than a human hair. These beads are injected (put) into the main artery that brings blood to the liver. The beads get trapped in the tumor and small blood vessels that bring blood to the liver tumor (s).

What cancers can be treated with Y-90 RE?

Y-90 RE beads are used to treat hepatocellular (liver) cancer or other cancers that have spread (metastasized) to the liver.

How is the radioembolization done?

RE is done by a specialist called an interventional radiologist in the interventional radiology department or operating room. Your provider will tell you how to prepare for the procedure, what medications you cannot take before the procedure, and any restrictions you will have.

What restrictions do I have after the procedure?

For the week after your procedure, you will need to limit your contact with other people. This is because they can be exposed to the radiation in your body. You should:

What is the second session of radiation?

The second session is the delivery of the radiation into the liver cancer. The radiation is in the form of a radioactive isotope called Yttrium-90 or Y-90, which is fixed onto tiny glass or resin particles.

Why is radiation limited in cancer?

External beam radiation is limited because the radiation has to pass through the skin and body wall to reach the targeted cancer, with resultant limitations on dose to avoid damage to surrounding structures.

How many sessions of radioembolization?

How it’s done: Radioembolization requires at least two treatment sessions. The first session is a mapping angiogram, where a catheter is passed into the liver artery from the groin and angiography is used to “map out” all the arteries in the liver circulation.

How does radioembolization work?

Radioembolization allows for internal delivery of radiation through the arteries supplying the cancer, thereby allowing concentration of high doses of radiation in the cancer with minimal effect on the surrounding healthy tissues.

What You Can Expect After the Y-90 Procedure

After the procedure is completed, patients will recover in a separate room of the treatment center for approximately 2 to 6 hours. During that time, patients must keep their leg (the site of the catheter insertion) still to lower the risk of bleeding.

Side Effects of Radioembolization (Y-90)

Side effects of radioembolization (Y-90) are typically mild as the procedure is generally very well tolerated. However, if side effects occur, they are usually transient and most patients resume normal activities within a few days.

Precautions to Take After Y-90 Treatment

Since patients will have received a radioactive treatment, there are a few simple precautions to take following the procedure.

Minimally Invasive Liver Cancer Treatments in New York

Because the liver is extremely sensitive to radiation damage, radioembolization (Y-90) allows patients with liver cancer to receive effective treatment without causing significant damage to healthy tissue.

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Y90 Treatment at Columbia Interventional Radiology

What Can I Expect from The Procedure?

  • One to two weeks before the delivery of the Y90 to the liver tumors, you will have appointments with your interventional radiologist, who will test your blood and perform an angiogram—an imaging procedure in which dye is injected into the bloodstream and X-ray images are taken. This will produce images of the blood vessels that are feeding the tumo...
See more on columbiaradiology.org

Are There Any Risks?

  • The procedure is relatively safe when performed by an experienced interventional radiologist. Major complications include: 1. Post-embolization syndrome consisting of consisting of pain, nausea, and low-grade fever 2. Irritation of the stomach or small intestine, including ulcers 3. Fatigue, which is typically significant and can last from a few days to a few weeks
See more on columbiaradiology.org

After The Procedure

  • Most patients are scheduled early in the day in our outpatient office and recover in their own private room, going home in the afternoon. Imaging is performed on the day of the procedure to confirm the location within the liver where the radiation particles have been deposited. For the next week you may experience a low-grade fever, lethargy, or fatigue. Pain is not a common sid…
See more on columbiaradiology.org

Follow Up

  • We will schedule a follow up appointment with you about two weeks after the procedure. Chemotherapy can typically be restarted one to two weeks after the procedure. Follow up imaging, such as CT, MRI, or PET CT, is usually performed approximately eight weeks after the procedure.
See more on columbiaradiology.org

Locations

  • Our interventional radiologists perform Y90 treatment in safe and comfortable outpatient offices. We have locations in Manhattan and Westchester.
See more on columbiaradiology.org

When Is Y90 Therapy Indicated?

  • Hepatic (liver) tumors (lesions or masses) may originate as a primary cancer of the liver such as hepatocellular cancer (90% of primary liver cancers) or may be another form of cancer that has metastasized to the region. There are many treatment options available for hepatic lesions. The …
See more on digirad.com

Y90 Mapping and Its Role with Radioembolization Therapy

  • There is a great deal of planning prior to performing a Y90 radioembolization. Here are a few steps: 1. The first step in the process is referred to as the “mapping”. The mapping process involves a very similar process to the radioembolization treatment itself; the patient is brought into interventional radiology and the vasculature of the liver tumor is examined. During this time…
See more on digirad.com

Patient Precautions and Side-Effects

  • The radioembolization procedure is generally painless for patients. For a small number of patients, ulcers may develop in the stomach or duodenum – these are treated as any other type of ulcer. Post-embolization syndrome (PES) is a side effect that is experienced by a few patients. This consists of vomiting, nausea, fever and pain, usually within the first 72 hours after treatmen…
See more on digirad.com

Final Thoughts

  • Radioembolization with Y90 utilizes nuclear medicine to treat hepatic lesions. Most patients will see some improvement in their liver and it may improve survival and life expectancy rates, depending on the type of cancer. This treatment is not recommended in cases of severe kidney or liver dysfunction, abnormal blood clotting or blockages of the bile ducts. Radioembolization ma…
See more on digirad.com

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