Patient Information Overview for SIR-Spheres® Y-90 resin microspheres

This video provides an overview for patients of SIR-Spheres® Y-90 resin microspheres.

SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres are used in targeted radiation therapy, also known as selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT) that selectively delivers a dose of internal radiation to liver tumors. Due to the liver tumor's unique blood supply, millions of tiny spheres are delivered directly to the tumors while sparing healthy liver tissue. The treatment requires a small incision in the groin and is administered via a very small flexible tube (microcatheter) into the liver. Your doctor may refer to this as an “outpatient procedure”.

Treatment Goals & Patient Benefits

• Extend life
• Increase the time until other treatments are needed
• Improve quality of life
• Give fewer side effects
• Provide symptom relief
• Shrink tumor size and in some cases allow for removal of tumor by surgery
• Slow tumor growth


Thousands of patients have now been treated at Treatment Centers around the world.

SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres are the only fully FDA approved microsphere radiation therapy in the United States for the treatment of colorectal cancer that has spread to the liver. See Important Safety Information.

Important Safety Information
Almost all treatments and drugs produce unwanted side effects. Most side effects following a Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) procedure are minor, but a small number can be serious. Every patient is different in how he or she reacts to a treatment. Many patients experience abdominal pain or tightness in their abdomen, nausea and loss of appetite which normally subsides within a week. Patients also develop a mild fever that may last for up to a week, and fatigue which may last for several weeks.

In rare instances, a small number of microspheres may inadvertently reach other organs in the body, such as the gallbladder, stomach, intestine, lung, or pancreas. If SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres reach these organs, they may cause inflammation and potentially ulceration. These complications are rare, but if they do occur they may require additional medical treatment.

Please contact your health care professional about your condition and additional information concerning SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres.