Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
Yttrium-90 has a half-life of approximately 2.5 days; therefore, 94% of the radiation is delivered to the tumor within 11 days following treatment.
The microspheres remain lodged in the blood vessels of the liver. They are not expelled or absorbed by the body.
Normally, you can be discharged four-six hours after the procedure. Most patients can resume their normal daily activities two to three days after the treatment.
Hair loss (alopecia) has never been reported following treatment with SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres. The microspheres do not worsen hair loss due to chemotherapy.
SIRT must not be performed if you are pregnant. You also must not become pregnant within two months of receiving treatment, as this may harm the unborn baby.
Effective contraception must be used at all times during this period.
If you are breastfeeding an infant, you must not do so during the first two weeks after treatment. You also must not use milk expressed during this period to bottle-feed your baby.
No. You can and should continue to eat and drink as normal. It is important that you drink enough water every day. Drinking alcohol stresses the liver, so it is a good idea to avoid it to help your liver recover quicker.
Before SIRT can be offered to you as a treatment option, there are a number of other factors that have to be considered by your doctor. Most importantly, you need to have a sufficiently healthy liver that is working satisfactorily. This is usually determined by a simple blood test.
The procedure is performed at a hospital or clinic by highly trained physicians called interventional radiologists and nuclear medicine physicians. It can be on an outpatient basis or might require a couple of days of hospitalization, depending on the local regulations.
It is important that you contact your doctor or nurse if you experience a side effect. Your doctor might prescribe medications to ease any discomfort.
The insurance coverage is country dependent. You can send a query using our contact form to get more information regarding insurance in your region.