Also called: Yttrium-90 Radioembolization; Y 90
The cutting-edge yttrium-90 radioembolization (“Y-90”) procedure is a minimally invasive procedure to treat liver tumors. Patients generally recover quickly and enjoy a higher quality of life. At UAMS, our interventional radiology experts offer hope to liver cancer patients who have exhausted other treatment options.
How Y-90 Treats Liver Tumors
Liver tumors are often inoperable because they are too large, too numerous or have grown into blood vessels or other vital structures. For some patients, chemotherapy becomes ineffective or causes poor quality of life during and after treatment.
Using Y-90, millions of tiny radioactive beads are injected directly into arteries, delivering radiation directly to tumors without harming healthy cells. The beads emit radiation for about 10 days, but they will keep working for several months after they are injected.
After being injected, the beads become lodged within the tumor vessels, causing the cells to die. This procedure reverses the progression of liver tumor growth, shrinking the tumors without any adverse effects. With this treatment, our doctors can attack the cancer tumor from inside the body without medicating or affecting other parts of the body.
