Y-90 radioembolization โ targeted internal radiation for inoperable liver tumors, delivered through a catheter, no surgery.
Transarterial radioembolization (TARE), also called selective internal radiotherapy (SIRT), is a targeted local therapy for liver cancer. Tiny particles called microspheres, containing the radioactive isotope Yttrium-90 (Y-90), are injected into the liver's blood supply through a small catheter inserted through the groin under local anaesthesia.
Once infused, the microspheres lodge in the small blood vessels around the tumor and emit radiation over several days. Because this radiation travels only a very short distance, its effects are confined almost entirely to the tumor, sparing healthy liver tissue.
Including portal vein thrombosis, large inoperable HCC, borderline liver function, multicentric HCC.
A cancer of the bile ducts within the liver.
Secondary tumors that have spread to the liver.
Can be treated alone or as a bridge to transplant.
Maps the liver's arteries, blocks vessels leading outside the liver, and gives a harmless test dose.
The full treatment dose of radiation is delivered.
Neither visit requires a long recovery, at home or in hospital.
Delivers a higher radiation dose to the tumor than standard external beam therapy.
Both TARE and TACE are delivered through a catheter into the artery feeding a liver tumor, but they use different weapons. TACE delivers chemotherapy (mixed with iodised oil or micro-beads) directly into the tumor's circulation. TARE delivers radiation, using Y-90 microspheres that emit radiation over several days from inside the tumor. TARE is particularly valuable in situations where TACE may be less suitable โ such as HCC with portal vein thrombosis. The choice depends on the tumor's type, size, spread, liver function, and the patient's overall condition, and is made individually.
| TACE | TARE | |
|---|---|---|
| What it delivers | Chemotherapy (mixed with iodised oil or micro-beads) | Radiation (Y-90 microspheres) |
| How it acts | Chemotherapy concentrated at the tumor site | Radiation emitted from inside the tumor over several days |
| Delivery | Catheter into the tumor's feeding artery | Catheter into the tumor's feeding artery |
| Especially useful when | Standard first-line option for many liver tumors | HCC with portal vein thrombosis and cases less suited to TACE |
TARE (transarterial radioembolization), also called SIRT, delivers radiation directly inside a liver tumor using tiny radioactive Yttrium-90 microspheres. They are injected through a catheter at the groin under local anaesthesia, lodging in the blood vessels around the tumor and emitting radiation over several days.
TARE is for patients with locally advanced liver cancer who are not candidates for surgery or transplant. It treats hepatocellular carcinoma (stage B and C), intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and neuroendocrine or colorectal liver metastases.
No. TARE is a palliative treatment, not a curative one. However, it can extend life from months to years, improve quality of life, and in some cases shrink the tumor enough to bridge the patient to a liver transplant.
It takes two short hospital visits. The first (2-3 hours) maps the liver's arteries and gives a test dose. About a week later, the full treatment dose is delivered. Neither visit needs long recovery or bed rest.
Both are delivered by catheter into the tumor's artery, but TACE delivers chemotherapy while TARE delivers radiation via Y-90 microspheres. TARE is especially useful in cases where TACE may be less suitable, such as HCC with portal vein thrombosis. The right choice is made case by case.
No surgery is needed. TARE requires only a small nick in the skin at the groin, which does not need stitches, and is done under local anaesthesia.
Serious complications are uncommon. Infection requiring antibiotics occurs in fewer than 1 in 1,000 cases. There is roughly a 2% risk that microspheres lodge in the wrong place and cause a stomach or duodenal ulcer.
TARE is not suitable if the cancer has spread beyond the liver. It is also not recommended in severe liver or kidney dysfunction, abnormal blood clotting, or blockage of the bile ducts.
At Neuro & Vascular, TARE is performed by Dr. Suresh Giragani, Consultant Interventional Radiologist at Apollo Hospitals, Jubilee Hills, Hyderabad, with over 18 years of experience in liver and vascular interventions.
Book a consultation with Dr. Giragani, or send your scans and reports for a specialist second opinion.