Therasphere Treatment for Liver Tumors

The American Cancer Society predicts that 22,620 new cases of liver cancer will be reported in the United States in 2009. The scary part about liver cancer is that it often has no symptoms until it has progressed to later stages and the tumors are often inoperable. Liver cancer patients thus have a reduced risk of survival with just standard radiation and chemotherapy treatment. However, in recent years the medical industry has been researching the possibility of using "seeding," the process used to treat prostate cancer, to also treat patients with liver tumors.

What Is Therasphere

• Therasphere is a treatment specifically for liver cancer in which tiny beads that contain radiation are inserted into the body. A catheter that is put in the leg is used to carry the radioactive beads to the liver. Once inside the liver, the tiny radioactive beads travel to the blood vessels of the organ. From there, the beads come to rest in the tinier blood vessels of the liver tumor. Radiation is administered from these tiny beads for three days to attempt to reduce the size of the tumor within the liver. The radiation delivered via this method does not have much affect on healthy tissue in the liver.

  After the initial "seeding" treatment, you will be asked to return to your physician four weeks later. The doctor will draw blood to be analyzed and perhaps order another CT scan. As long as the tests come back positive, the doctor will recommend a second treatment.

Effectiveness

• As of 2009, the procedure is so new that the medical industry cannot firmly state that Therasphere is effective in the treatment of liver cancer. In cases where this procedure has been used thus far, results have been positive and a reduction in the size of the cancerous tumor has occurred. This procedure is FDA approved; however, there are no statements as to its effectiveness.

Side Effects

• As with any radiation procedure, there are some side effects. Patients who have had this treatment have reported that they suffer from fatigue, loss of appetite and a slight fever. Other side effects include pain, which you will be given a prescribed medication to control. In addition to side effects, you must follow a strict regimen once you go home as well.

  Once you go home from the hospital, you should drink plenty of water and also eat as soon as you feel up to it. Medicines should be restarted immediately after the procedure at the normal scheduled times, and strenuous activity will need to be avoided. No alcoholic drinks may be consumed for four weeks after the surgery. Because the beads that have been administered to the body are releasing radiation, it is necessary to limit the number of visitors to the home during the three days when the beads are most active. This is especially true for those highly susceptible to radiation such as pregnant women.