How UCI Health is killing liver tumors from within

Dr. Farshid Dayyani is a board-certified UCI Health medical oncologist who specializes in the treatment of gastrointestinal and hepatobiliary malignancies. His clinical interests include colorectal, stomach and esophageal cancers, anal carcinoma, liver and pancreatic cancer.

Dayyani described the role that radioembolization can play in the course of treatment for tumors of the liver.

This innovative method involves placing tiny, radioactive beads directly into the cancerous site, which disrupts the tumor's blood supply and delivers a high dose of radiation to the cancer cells. An interventional radiologist inserts a flexible catheter through an artery in the groin, guiding it to the hepatic artery in the liver using an X-ray. Once in position, they release these radioactive beads into the bloodstream, where they find their way to the liver near the tumors, getting lodged in small arteries. These beads emit controlled radiation, destroying the tumor's blood vessels and delivering radiation directly to the cancer.

Remarkably, these beads remain in the liver permanently but eventually lose their radiation potential, posing no harm to the patient. Dr. Dayyani's dedication to advancing cancer care through cutting-edge treatments and clinical trials is truly what distinguishes him in the community.