Soft Tissue Sarcoma TheraSphere® / SIR-Spheres®
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TheraSphere® / SIR-Spheres® Treatment for Metastatic Soft Tissue Sarcoma
After the lungs, the most common site for soft tissue sarcoma metastasis (spread) is the liver. For a sarcoma that has metastasized to the liver, TheraSphere® or SIR-Spheres® might be a part of your individualized treatment plan at Cancer Treatment Centers of America (CTCA).
A form of internal radiation therapy administered directly to the liver, TheraSphere and SIR-Spheres are innovative treatments that are available at some CTCA hospitals. This treatment method can be used in some cases where soft tissue sarcoma has spread to the liver and cannot be surgically removed. Other factors, including the extent of the cancer and liver function, will help determine whether TheraSphere/SIR-Spheres may be a treatment option for you.
How Does TheraSphere / SIR-Spheres Work?
During TheraSphere treatment, your doctor will first position a catheter in the liver’s main blood vessel, the hepatic artery. Once in place, millions of microscopic glass beads (microspheres) are inserted into the catheter and travel with your blood vessels until they lodge into the small blood vessels of the tumor. Measuring one-third the diameter of a human hair, these microspheres emit radiation directly into the area of the tumor, and destroy cancer cells with minimal impact to surrounding healthy tissues.
The procedure for SIR-Spheres is the same, although instead of glass beads, SIR-Spheres are resin beads.
The precise delivery of radiation used in soft tissue sarcoma TheraSphere treatment and SIR-Spheres therapy allows us to concentrate the radiation directly within the tumor, often with higher doses than would be allowed with standard external beam radiation therapy (EBRT). This targeted delivery of radiation therapy can minimize harm to surrounding healthy liver tissue, while providing a powerful and direct attack on the sarcoma tumor.
In comparison to other radiation treatments or chemotherapy, TheraSphere treatment and SIR-Spheres therapy may cause fewer side effects, and can generally be performed as an outpatient procedure.
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