Dr. Kennedy on the Utilization of Radioactive Microspheres

Andrew Kennedy, MD, physician-in-chief, Radiation Oncology, Sarah Cannon, director, Radiation Oncology Research, Sarah Cannon Research Institute, discusses the utilization of radioactive microspheres.

Kennedy says the radioactive microspheres can only be used to treat tumors in the liver that cannot be removed by surgery. If the patient’s tumor is not responding or even partially responding to chemotherapy, they should be considered for radioactive microsphere treatment.

Surgery is the only curative approach for tumors in the liver, Kennedy says. If the tumors cannot be removed, using radioactive microspheres usually dramatically controls the tumors in the liver for months to years, but can sometimes kill the tumor completely.

Kennedy says this allows patients to still receive chemotherapy while getting better control of the tumors in the liver.