If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with primary liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma) or metastatic liver cancer (such as spread from colorectal cancer, breast cancer, neuroendocrine/carcinoid tumor, or others), ask your care team about Radioembolization or Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) treatment.

This technique is a targeted radiation therapy that delivers a dose of internal radiation up to 40 times higher than conventional external beam therapy without damaging healthy tissue. This maximizes the treatment’s effectiveness and reduces the risk of injury to the liver. Clinical trials have shown SIRT increases the time-to-disease progression and overall survival without adversely affecting the patient’s quality of life.

The procedure involves making a small incision, usually into the femoral artery near the groin, through which a small flexible tube (catheter) is guided into the liver and radiation is delivered directly to the tumor. The procedure takes about 90 minutes and is completed under sedation by an interventional radiologist. Most patients return home 4-6 hours following treatment and report few limited short-term side effects.