Advances in nuclear oncology
Liver metastases cause the majority of deaths from colorectal cancer, and
response to chemotherapy and external radiotherapy is poor. An alternative is internal
radionuclide therapy using 90Y labeled microspheres. These microspheres are very
stable and have a proven efficacy in the field of treatment of primary or metastatic
hepatic cancer. Whilst these spheres showed encouraging results in patients, their high
density is a serious drawback. Currently, other materials with lower densities and
other radioisotopes are being investigated in order to optimize this promising new
therapy. Three major radiolabeled microsphere materials, viz. glass, resin-based and
polymer-based, are now available for therapy or are being tested in animals. In this
review the preparation, stability and degradation of these spheres are highlighted.
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