Radioembolization with Y-91 in Alamogordo:
Liver cancer is an aggressive form of cancer that can spread quickly and become fatal if not detected early. Now, thanks to advances in technology, patients with liver cancer have some hope through a new treatment called radioembolization with Y-91, which delivers radioactive material directly to the tumor, blocking the blood supply and making the cancer cells kill themselves off. With a low rate of complications and minimal side effects, this cutting-edge treatment is highly effective at treating liver cancer in patients with few other treatment options available to them.
What is Liver Cancer?
Liver cancer, or hepatic malignancy, refers to a primary malignant tumor that develops in liver cells. There are two major types of tumors: hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA). HCC accounts for about 80 percent of all primary tumors of the liver. CCA originates from bile ducts or channels that connect your gallbladder to your small intestine; each carries bile to and from your liver.
Early Detection
According to a recent study published by Cancer Weekly, people who have never been diagnosed or treated for liver cancer have a 5 percent chance of dying from their illness. When detected and treated early, that number drops to less than 1 percent. Early detection is vital to saving lives. That’s why we offer advanced imaging options at our state-of-the-art facility.
Treatments – Surgery
Radioembolization is a noninvasive, non-radiation therapy that’s gaining popularity among physicians and their patients. When it comes to treating liver cancer, especially primary hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancers that originate in hepatocytes), radioembolization is a viable treatment alternative to invasive and potentially dangerous surgery.
Treatments – Chemotherapy
AlimtaTM (pemetrexed) is a chemotherapy drug that is used to treat advanced or recurrent non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer, and head and neck cancers. This drug is also used to prevent the recurrence of breast cancer after surgery, radiation, or systemic treatment. Alimta may be given before surgery to shrink tumors before surgery. The amount of Alimta you receive depends on how much chemotherapy your doctor thinks you need, as well as how severe your disease is.
Treatments – Radioembolization With Y-90 Microspheres
The most common areas of treatment are in a patient’s abdomen, chest, and pelvis. For example, a patient who has developed a tumor called choriocarcinoma may be treated by implanting radioembolization microspheres directly into their tumor via an IV. These microspheres are similar to those used during conventional embolization treatment but contain yttrium-90 instead of coils or other materials.
Radioembolization with Y-91 in Alamogordo:
Treatments – Radioembolization with Indium Tin Oxide Microspheres (Y-90)
The potential toxicity of a tumor is often increased by its blood supply, which is one reason why many tumors are considered malignant. Injecting tiny microspheres made of an inert substance such as Indium Tin Oxide (Y-90) into tumors can stop blood flow to a tumor and cause it to shrink. These microspheres remain intact and pose no danger to healthy tissues when injected through a catheter into an artery that feeds into a tumor.
