June 1, 2015 — At the American Society of Clinical Oncology’s (ASCO) annual conference in Chicago, Siemens presented advanced imaging solutions for Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT), an innovative therapy procedure for inoperable liver cancers. Siemens and collaborating company Sirtex Medical Ltd. demonstrated the solution and jointly hosted an Industry Expert Theater session on the topic at the 2015 ASCO annual meeting, May 29-June 2.
Clinically advanced primary or secondary liver tumors, which are not candidates for resection, often have a limited prognosis. Over the past years, interventional procedures such as SIRT, also known as radioembolization, started to play a more meaningful role in the treatment of these tumors. However, the application of such effective local therapies was limited to experienced centers in order to reduce the risks of treatment-related complications that can occur if targeted therapies are inadvertently applied outside the target organ. More recently, with the introduction of advanced imaging technology such as Siemens’ Artis angiography systems, the safety of application could be further improved due to advanced image guidance. SIRT treats liver cancer internally by injecting millions of tiny radioactive microspheres (developed by Sirtex Medical Ltd.) directly into the tumors. The microspheres, extremely small resin beads containing radioactive Yttrim-90 (Y-90), become lodged in blood vessels inside the tumor, sparing the healthy tissue that surrounds it since the blood supply to the tumors is separate from that of the normal liver.
The technical execution of SIRT relies on angiographic imaging guidance. From pre-procedure planning to intra-procedure monitoring and control to post-procedure assessment, imaging plays a crucial role in the implementation of these treatments. Sufficient image quality is necessary to visualize the tumor, the application catheter within the feeding vessels, and surrounding structures during therapy.
Sirtex, a global healthcare business based in Australia focusing on oncology, has pioneered the SIRT procedure through development of the SIR-Spheres Y-90 resin microspheres used to deliver targeted internal radiation therapy directly to liver tumors via the hepatic artery.
For more information: www.siemens.com
November 04, 2025 
