Dr. Mody on Progress Made With Y-90 in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

Kabir Mody, MD, an oncology specialist at Mayo Clinic, discusses new directions with yttrium-90 (Y-90) glass microspheres (TheraSphere) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) as demonstrated in the retrospective LEGACY study.

Y-90 glass microspheres are being explored as a neoadjuvant therapy in patients with advanced HCC, according to Mody. The agent holds promise due to its novel delivery method; this has led to different outcomes in terms of tissue and imaging responses, Mody says. These durable responses create more opportunities for patients to receive other therapies that they wouldn’t otherwise be considered for, such as transplant or resection, Mody explains. 

All of this has led to discourse about downstaging patients through embolic therapy, Mody adds. Notably, this is a new development for this modality, and this underscores the progress that has been made with Y-90 in the past 10-15 years, Mody concludes.