Q: My doctor told me I have a tumor in my liver. What are the most up-to-date treatment options?
A: There are many types of tumors that can arise in the liver. If you have a medical history of cirrhosis of the liver due to hepatitis or alcoholism, the most common type of tumor is called hepatocellular carcinoma. If you do not have a history of cirrhosis, it is possible you have a benign tumor or a metastatic tumor that has spread from a cancer somewhere else in the body.
Depending on the type of tumor, there are many treatment options, ranging from chemotherapy to radiation. Recently, a new therapy called Ytrium-90 has been approved for use at Erlanger hospital. Ytrium-90 is a radioactive medicine that decays with time. As it decays, it releases energy that kills tumor cells. The drug is delivered through a catheter inside the blood vessel that directly feeds the tumor in the liver. Currently, Ytrium-90 is approved by the Food and Drug Administration for treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma and metastatic colorectal tumors in the liver. Several clinical trials using Ytrium-90 have demonstrated increased survival benefits with very few side effects.
— Dr. Justin Calvert, Tennessee Interventional and Imaging Associates; members, Chattanooga-Hamilton County Medical Society
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