Thursday, September 5, 2019

Amazing how things change on this Cancer, roller coaster ride.  Got the final round of radiation today.  

We went in for my Y-90 consultation yesterday and it's a go, and they have great confidence that it will stretch things a bit. 

What is Y90?

Radioembolization requires at least two treatment sessions. The first session is a mapping angiogram, where a catheter is passed into the liver artery from the groin and angiography is used to “map out” all the arteries in the liver circulation. At this time, any arteries passing from the liver circulation to non-target structures, such as the stomach or bowel, can be embolized (blocked off) with coils, to prevent radiation damage to these organs. A test will also be done to confirm that there is not shunting of blood flow through the liver into the lungs. The second session is the delivery of the radiation into the liver cancer. The radiation is in the form of a radioactive isotope called Yttrium-90 or Y-90, which is fixed onto tiny glass or resin particles. Once a microcatheter is placed into the artery supplying the cancer, angiography is performed to confirm appropriate position, and the radioactive microspheres are injected into the artery. The blood flow in the artery carries the particles into the cancer, where they lodge and release the radiation directly into the tumor. The radiation causes death of the cancer cells over the next 1-3 months.


The mapping process will take place very soon, and after that, we are taking a trip out west to do some photography, then I'll get the actual treatment.

This will be my last resort, but, why not try.

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