Y-92 Albuquerque: Radioembolization Offers New Hope for Liver Cancer Patients

For patients suffering from liver cancer who have exhausted other treatment options, there’s hope on the horizon. Hospital and Medical Center’s new Y-92 Albuquerque unit offers hope in the form of a minimally invasive therapy option, which provides permanent ablation of liver tumors in up to 99 percent of cases when combined with Y-90 injections. In this post, we’ll cover exactly how Y-92 works and what sets it apart from other therapies. We’ll also include photos of the machine in action!

Introduction

What is radioembolization?

How does radioembolization work?

What are the benefits of radioembolization?

Who is a candidate for radioembolization?

What can patients expect during and after treatment?

Conclusion

Introduction
In the US, liver cancer is the fifth most common form of cancer and accounts for about 1% of all cancers. One treatment option for patients suffering from liver cancer who have exhausted other treatment options is Y-92 Albuquerque. This procedure, which offers hope in the form of a minimally invasive therapy option, will soon be available at Hospital and Medical Center.

What is radioembolization?
Radioembolization is a minimally invasive treatment option that uses radioactive particles to shrink tumors and stop cancer cells from growing. Unlike traditional surgery, this procedure does not require large incisions or the removal of any organs. The treatment will be available at Hospital and Medical Center in Albuquerque, NM starting in January 2019.

How does radioembolization work?
Radioembolization is a minimally invasive procedure that destroys cancer cells in the liver with yttrium-90 radioactive beads. The treatment is nonsurgical and doesn’t require anesthesia or hospitalization, making it a viable option for many people with liver cancer. Y-92 Albuquerque uses a device called an Embolectomy Catheter to deliver the radiation into the artery supplying blood to the tumor. As long as there are no complications during treatment, most patients can return home after their appointment.
Radioembolization is not appropriate for everyone; however, Hospital and Medical Center has extensive experience in diagnosing and treating cancers of the liver. If you have questions about your diagnosis or treatment options, please contact one of our staff members today at (505) 988-3333.

What are the benefits of radioembolization?
Radioembolization is a treatment option that offers a minimally invasive alternative to surgical treatments. It uses ionizing radiation, in the form of lipiodol, to block the flow of blood through tumors and shrink them. The technique has been proven effective at treating cancerous growths in other organs and is now being used to treat liver cancer as well.

Who is a candidate for radioembolization?
Radioembolization is an option for patients suffering from liver cancer who have exhausted other treatment options. It is a minimally invasive therapy that can be delivered in a single procedure, meaning patients don’t need to suffer through multiple treatments or surgeries. The procedure delivers Y-90 microspheres, which are tiny beads of radioactive material, directly to the tumor site using CT imaging. The material then blocks off the blood supply and destroys tumor cells.

What can patients expect during and after treatment?
During the procedure, a catheter is inserted into a vein in your arm and threaded into the hepatic artery. Then the Y-92 is injected into the artery. The particles of Y-92 travel through the bloodstream until they reach their destination—the tumor. The particles are too small to be detected by X-ray and can’t be filtered out by chemotherapy so they do not harm healthy tissue around them.

Conclusion
Radioembolization Y-92 Albuquerque offers a minimally invasive therapy option, with fewer side effects than other treatment options. For patients suffering from liver cancer who have exhausted other treatment options, this new hope is available at Hospitals and Medical Centers.