Treatment extends survival, provides hope
Jerry Convery, 56, a retired medical equipment engineer creator, is enjoying life with his children, grandchildren and most recently, his new German Shepard, Sugar because of a new treatment for liver cancer at Medical City Plano. Last year, Jerry was diagnosed with stage IV colon cancer that spread to his liver. After undergoing surgery to remove the tumors in his colon, he became a candidate for selective internal radiation therapy (SIRT).
SIRT is a proven treatment for inoperable liver cancer that delivers doses of radiation directly to the site of tumors. In a minimally invasive treatment, also known as radioembolization, millions of tiny radioactive beads are placed into blood vessels in and around the cancer, delivering a dose of internal radiation up to 40 times higher than conventional radiotherapy. Radiation from the beads is localized, protecting healthy tissue.
Of the 140,000 colorectal cancer cases in America annually, more than half spread to the liver.1,2 Most liver tumors cannot be surgically removed. Metastatic liver cancer is often fatal, with up to 90 percent of patients dying from liver failure. 3
"This treatment is a powerful weapon against one of the deadliest forms of cancer," says Parikshet Babber, MD, Chief Medical Officer of Medical City Plano. "We're proud to offer this advanced treatment to oncology patients, like Jerry, which can improve quality of life and lengthen survival."
SIRT is an outpatient procedure that typically takes just one hour and requires two sessions. Qualifying patients must have an inoperable liver tumor that is not responding to chemotherapy, among other criteria. Learn more about cancer services at Medical City Plano on our website.
1 Landis SH, Murray T, Bolden S, et al. Cancer Statistics. CA Cancer J Clin. 1999;49:8-31.
2 American Cancer Society. Cancer Facts and Figures, 2013. Atlanta ACS, 2013: 5.
3 Portneuf. New Hope to Patients with Metastatic Liver Tumors. 2018.