Yttrium-90 Internal Radiation Therapy

What Is Yttrium-90 Internal Radiation Therapy?

Yttrium-90 internal radiation therapy is a treatment for some inoperable cancers. Doctors also refer to Yttrium-90 internal radiation therapy as selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) or brachytherapy.

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 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 close to it.

Because the radiation has a limited depth of travel through the tumor, there is limited harm to healthy tissue around the 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.

Contact Us About Regional Perfusion Cancer Treatment

Surgeons see Koch Center patients at UPMC Hillman Cancer Center in Shadyside.

To learn more about regional perfusion therapy, contact the David C. Koch Regional Perfusion Cancer Therapy Center. Alternatively, you can call UPMC Hillman Cancer Center at 412-692-2852.

Additional Information