Treatment FAQ

what is y 90 treatment

by Jaunita Dietrich Published 3 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.

What is y90 used for in radiation therapy?

Our team of experts believes that Yttrium-90 (Y-90) radiotherapy is the best option for you at this time. 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

What is y90 for liver cancer?

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 the colon or rectum (secondary liver cancer) that cannot be removed with surgery.

What is Y-90 SIRT?

Jan 27, 2017 · Jeremy McBride, M.D., an interventional radiologist with Mayo Clinic Health System, suggested a minimally invasive radiation treatment known as Y-90 to strategically attack the tumors invading Turnbull’s liver. The treatment works by injecting tiny particles into the arteries feeding the tumors with blood.

What is Y-90 and is it safe?

Radioembolization (Yttrium-90 embolization or selective internal radiation therapy) Treatment for: Primary or metastatic liver cancer. Why it’s done: All cancers are susceptible to radiation, if high enough doses of radiation can be concentrated in a cancer.

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Does Y-90 cure cancer?

The treatment is not a cure for cancer in the liver, but it has been shown to prolong lives for months or years and to greatly improve the quality of life of cancer patients. Patients experience few, if any, side effects from Y90 treatment, which is performed in an outpatient setting.

How long does a Y-90 procedure last?

Y-90 radiotherapy is done by an interventional radiologist, a doctor who specializes in procedures that use X-ray guidance. The treatment is done in several steps over a few months. Step 1 is a procedure called a mapping angiogram. It takes 2 to 4 hours.

How many Y-90 treatments can you have?

Patients are typically limited to two treatments, although doctors can take another approach — only with concentrated chemotherapy and larger particles — once radiation limits are reached.Jan 27, 2017

What are the side effects of Y-90 treatment?

The most common side effect after Y-90 radiotherapy is fatigue (feeling very tired). This can be mild or severe. It can last up to a few weeks. Other side effects include: • Poor appetite • Mild abdominal pain • Slight fever • Nausea These symptoms should slowly go away over 1 to 2 weeks.

Are you radioactive after Y-90 treatment?

The Y90 has a half-life of 64.2 hours. This means that it will be non-radioactive in about a month's time.Oct 31, 2019

How do I prepare for Y-90?

How should I prepare? Several days before the procedure, you will have an office consultation with the interventional radiologist who will perform your procedure. Prior to your procedure, your doctor may test your blood to check your kidney function and to determine if your blood clots normally.

Can radiation shrink liver tumors?

Radiation therapy can shrink or kill tumor cells. At Memorial Sloan Kettering, we may recommend this approach if you have a primary liver tumor that can't be removed with surgery. It can be used alone or in combination with chemotherapy or other treatments.

Is microwave an ablation?

Microwave ablation (MWA) is a minimally-invasive treatment for cancer. MWA uses ultrasound, computed tomography (CT), or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to guide placement of a needle-like probe into a tumor. MWA uses microwaves to heat and destroy the tumor. Doctors use MWA for the same indications as RFA.

How much does Y-90 cost?

The price of a Y-90 ranges from $30,000 to $35,000 with an average of $32,500. The price of a TACE ranges from $18,000 to $22,000 with an average of $20,000.

How long do chemo beads last?

The beads will continue to release radiation over the course of two weeks following treatment, gradually decreasing to insignificant levels and with few side effects.

What is the difference between TACE and Y-90?

Y90 is better tolerated with a smaller side effect profile when compared to TACE therapy. However, Y90 is an expensive treatment option, which isn't feasible for certain patient populations, such as those on Medicaid. Y90 is a very well-tolerated procedure.

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 are the benefits of a liver transplant?

Other benefits include: Delays the time to tumor progression (the time it takes for a tumor to regrow) Extends overall survival rate. Potentially downsizes or downstages tumors for liver resection, ablation, or transplantation giving patients a genuine chance for rehabilitation. Provides palliation of symptoms.

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 ...

What is a mapping arteriogram?

Mapping arteriogram is done to plan for your Y-90 SIRT treatment. This mapping study will inform us on the anatomy of the liver, i.e. identify the arteries that are responsible for specifically bringing blood flow to the liver tumors and ensuring that the lungs will not be impacted negatively by the treatment with Y-90 SIRT.

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.

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?

Jeremy McBride, M.D., an interventional radiologist with Mayo Clinic Health System, suggested a minimally invasive radiation treatment known as Y-90 to strategically attack the tumors invading Turnbull’s liver. The treatment works by injecting tiny particles into the arteries feeding the tumors with blood.

When was Turnbull's liver treated?

To minimize the risk of injury to Turnbull’s liver, Dr. McBride treated half of the liver at a time. The first treatment was in July 2016, the second in October. Follow-up scans thus far have shown positive results, Dr. McBride says.

Did Mark Turnbull's pain go away?

Mark Turnbull dismissed the discomfort and figured it would go away by morning, but the pain only intensified as the evening went on. In the morning, the 61-year-old Hudson, Wisconsin, resident visited his doctor and underwent a battery of tests, including blood work and an X-ray, which initially pointed toward pneumonia.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Why do you have to embolize your liver?

At this time, any arteries passing from the liver circulation to non-target structures , such as the stomach or bowel, can be embolized ( blocked off) with coils, to prevent radiation damage to these organs. A test will also be done to confirm that there is not shunting of blood flow through the liver into the lungs.

When was Y-90 first used?

FULL STORY. Interventional radiologists have been the leaders in the use of intra-arterial yttrium-90 radioembolization, since its introduction in 2000, to treat liver cancer. Now, new results from a large multi-institutional study show that treating liver tumors with higher doses of Y-90 than previously tried is safe, ...

Where are Y-90 microspheres injected?

With the Y-90 radioembolization treatment, the microspheres are injected through a catheter from the groin into the liver artery supplying the tumor. The beads become lodged within the tumor vessels where they exert their local radiation that causes cell death.

Why are liver tumors inoperable?

Liver tumors are often inoperable because the tumors may be too large or numerous or have grown into major blood vessels or other vital structures. Historically, chemotherapy drugs become less effective as the disease progresses," he added.

Why did the Nuclear Regulatory Commission change its guidelines?

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission recently changed its guidelines in order to create a specific pathway for interventional radiologists to become authorized users. Last month in Arizona, 106 participants attended the SIR's Y-90 course, developed to ensure that SIR members not only meet but exceed these requirements.

Is Y-90 safe for liver cancer?

Now, new results from a large multi-institutional study show that treating liver tumors with higher doses of Y-90 than previously tried is safe , provides results when chemotherapies have failed, preserves the patient's quality of life -- and can be done on an outpatient basis.

Can alcohol cause liver problems?

Alcohol Consumption in Late Teens Can Lead to Liver Problems in Adulthood. Jan. 21, 2018 — Alcohol is the leading cause of liver cirrhosis and liver-related deaths. Results of a large long-term study in Sweden have confirmed that drinking during late adolescence could be the first step ...

Does liver tissue help tumors?

Nov. 25, 2019 — A study discovered that healthy liver tissue surrounding a tumor activates a defense mechanism that restrains tumor growth . Remarkably, the researchers found that hyperactivation of this mechanism ...

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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. Thi…
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

What Is Y90?

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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, a…
See more on digirad.com

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 choice for treatment is generally based on how they present, physician preference and treatmen…
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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