Y90

I am sorry to hear you are so tired, and was wondering (as an aside) whether you might be aware that mbc patients can usually qualify to receive Social Security Disability (SSDI). There's a 5 month waiting period after one is approved until one receives the first check, and of course the amount may be less than you are earning. But it may be worth looking into. And 2 years after acceptance, patients can go on Medicare.

Hoping you feel better soon!

Patti-I lost about 13 pounds and I have still not gained it back. It took me 6 to 8 weeks to start getting my energy back and my appetite is not the same. I only had to do the procedure once so far. I have scans tomorrow and will see how my liver and the last tumor is doing. Hopefully there is no progression. I hate to hear about your anxiety. Have you asked your doctor for some medication to help with that? It is a lot to deal with and can really be overwhelming.

I hope you are starting to feel better. Take time to rest and take care of yourself.

sharethehope-I do remember my oncologist saying that if the cancer had spread to other areas besides the liver that the Y90 was usually not recommended for treatment as it would only treat the liver tumors. Since that is the case with you I am wondering if that is the reason your insurance will not cover it. Do you know the exact reason why your insurance denied the Y90? I would contact your insurance company directly and file an appeal right away. The procedure itself is not too difficult but the recovery is.

Radioembolization(Y90) is a minimally invasive procedure that combines embolization and radiation therapy to treat liver cancer. Tiny glass or resin beads filled with the radioactive isotope yttrium Y-90 are placed inside the blood vessels that feed a tumor. This blocks the supply of blood to the cancer cells and delivers a high dose of radiation to the tumor while sparing normal tissue.

Some information from this article: http://www.rsna.org/NewsDetail.aspx?id=13043 At Northwestern, patients come in for care very late in the disease, often when they have no other treatment options. While metastatic disease in colon cancer patients is often confined to the liver, breast cancer patients present a "unique challenge," Dr. Lewandowski said, because the disease spreads so readily to other parts of the body.

"You have to make sure it makes sense to use this therapy," Dr. Lewandowski stressed. "It's only going to have an effect on the disease we target, so if people have disease everywhere in the body as well as the liver, it may not make sense to treat them with a liver-directed therapy."

The next step will be to evaluate whether outcomes in this patient population will improve by combining treatments like chemotherapy and radioembolization, Dr. Salem said. "The idea is that we can provide combined—not sequential—treatment," he said. And provide that combined treatment earlier, Dr. Salem added.

Looking at that information above, I would argue that you should have the option to do both the Y90 and chemo. Can you get a second opinion from another MO? I am so sorry you are having to deal with all this additional stress.

Bolon-hope you can get some answers. I do not know if there is anyone else on this board who has had the Y90 who can tell you their experience. Hopefully you will get some feedback from others. Wishing you all the best!