SIRT Y-90 radiation therapy: an effective treatment for liver cancer

Tangerang (ANTARA) – Dr Ben Widaja MBChB (UK), Co-founder and President Director of Mandaya Hospital Group, considers the Selective Internal Radiation Therapy Yttrium-90 (SIRT Y-90), which uses radioactive material, as an effective step in liver cancer treatment. He states that this method allows radiation to be precisely targeted at the tumour, maximising cancer cell destruction while minimising damage to surrounding healthy liver tissue. “Why do I want SIRT Y-90? Because I know the results are excellent. We hope to maximise this for liver cancer fighters,” Ben said in a statement received in Tangerang on Wednesday. He explained that technically, patients undergo imaging scans to map blood vessels and determine the optimal path to the tumour. Doctors then insert a catheter through a blood vessel near the groin to deliver Y-90 particles directly to the liver tumour, which releases high-dose radiation at close range. He added that to meet demand and enhance liver cancer services, Mandaya Royal Puri Hospital has officially launched SIRT Y-90. The service aims to treat cancer patients using a minimally invasive therapy without major surgery, which is still relatively new and rare in Indonesia. Meanwhile, Mandaya Hospital Group Public Relations Manager Erwin Suyanto noted that globally, SIRT Y-90 therapy has been widely used for liver cancer treatment. “To date, the therapy has been applied in over 100,000 cases across more than 1,000 healthcare facilities in over 40 countries,” he said. When cancer-affected liver areas are exposed to Y-90 radiation, healthy liver tissue naturally grows and expands to compensate for impaired function. The therapy also has a 70% immunomodulatory effect, boosting the body’s immune response against cancer cells. “Compared to systemic therapy, SIRT Y-90 typically causes milder side effects as radiation is directed straight to the tumour via blood vessels,” he added. Additionally, the therapy usually requires few sessions—most cases need only one or two. Due to its minimally invasive nature, patients recover and are discharged more quickly. SIRT Y-90 services at Mandaya Royal Puri Hospital are handled by a multidisciplinary team, including nuclear medicine specialists and Dr Sugianto Santoso, Sp.Rad (K)RI, an interventional radiologist responsible for performing the procedure. With the introduction of SIRT Y-90 and other liver cancer treatment technologies, Mandaya Royal Puri hopes to provide more accessible, modern, minimally invasive, and precise liver cancer therapies for the Indonesian and Southeast Asian populations. “We hope the arrival of SIRT Y-90 brings good news to liver cancer fighters in Indonesia. Mandaya is one of only two hospitals in the country offering this Y-90 service,” he said.