TheraSphere Yttrium - Radionuclide source, therapeutic, brachytherapy, manual, permanent implant

Intended purpose

TheraSphere is used in the treatment of hepatic malignancies.

Functional description

TheraSphere is a low toxicity, targeted liver cancer therapy made of insoluble glass beads containing radioactive yttrium-90 (Y-90). The mean sphere diameter ranges from 20-30 micrometers with 22,000-73,000 microspheres per mg dose dispersed in pyrogen-free water. Y-90 is a pure beta emitter and mean tissue penetration is 2.5-11mm. Most of the radiation is delivered to the tumour in the first two weeks after treatment. Custom dose sizes are available in 0.5GBq increments between 3-20GBq.