SIR-Spheres microspheres are used to treat patients with unresectable liver cancer.
[1] Therapy goals are local disease control, downstaging to resection, bridging to transplantation, and extended survival.
The microspheres are impregnated with 90Y, a beta radiating isotope of yttrium with a half-life of 64.1 hours.
[3] Once injected into the hepatic artery via a catheter by an interventional radiologist the microspheres will preferably lodge in the vasculature of the tumour.
The procedure is also known as selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) or radioembolization.