SIR-Spheres® Y-90 resin microspheres
How It Works
SIR-Spheres® Y-90 resin microspheres take advantage of the unique blood supply of the liver, which is different from that of the rest of the body.
- Most of the blood that feeds healthy liver tissue comes from veins, and it flows from the bowel to the liver.
- On the other hand, most of the blood that feeds tumors in the liver is from arteries.
- SIR-Spheres are injected through arteries that supply liver tumors.
- Because of their small size and weight, the microspheres are taken by the blood flow to the small blood vessels surrounding the tumor where they lodge.
- Radiation is then delivered directly to the tumor cells in order to destroy them.
- This allows tumors to receive radiation from inside the body in a way that targets the tumors yet protects healthy liver tissue.