Dr. Mody on the Unique Delivery Approach for Y-90 in HCC

Kabir Mody, MD, an oncologist at Mayo Clinic, discusses the unique approach used to deliver Y-90 glass microspheres (TheraSphere) to patients with unresectable hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). 

The LEGACY trial examined Y-90 as a bridging therapy for patients with earlier-stage HCC, or as a standalone therapy for those with advanced disease, according to Mody. In the trial, investigators examined the effect of ablative forms of Y-90 in this population.

Y-90 is unique in that it preserves a patient's vasculature and allows for radiation to be delivered in a safe and effective way, Mody explains. The approach yields different outcomes in terms of tissue imaging response, as well as more durable responses; it also allows patients to be considered for therapies they wouldn't otherwise receive, such as transplant or resection, concludes Mody.