Radioembolisation

Radioembolisation, or Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT), is a minimally invasive treatment for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) or liver metastases, where ionising radiation – yttrium-90 (Y-90), is used to shrink tumours.

SIRT is usually performed under sedation in an operating room with specialised medical imaging equipment. 

Typically this treatment is done in two separate procedures 2 weeks apart. The initial procedure is done to define the anatomy of the arteries of the liver and measure any shunting of blood between the liver and lungs so that the correct dose of radiation is delivered. Sometimes it is also necessary to block off any arteries at this time to protect other organs from the radiation delivered to the liver. The second procedure involves delivering the treatment of radiation into the liver. 

Your interventional radiologist will use an ultrasound to guide a tube into the artery at either the groin or wrist. They will then pass a catheter (thin plastic tube) into the arteries that supply the liver inject x-ray dye (contrast) and map a path to the tumour to be targeted. A very fine catheter (microcatheter) is then passed into the artery supplying the tumour and small particles filled with Y-90 is slowly injected. These particles emit radiation into the liver for a few weeks causing the tumour to shrink.