Y-90 (Yttrium-90) Treatment in China: A New Interventional Radiotherapy Option for International Liver Cancer Patients

Liver cancer remains one of the most common and deadly malignancies worldwide, and its prevalence is especially high across Asia, where hepatitis B-related liver cancer continues to affect large numbers of patients. Against this backdrop, a localized radiotherapy technique known as Y-90 (Yttrium-90) Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT/TARE) has been gaining growing attention from clinicians and patients alike.

Y-90 delivers radioactive microspheres directly into tumor tissue, and it has shown encouraging local tumor control in some patients with advanced or unresectable liver cancer. As awareness of this option spreads, more international patients are beginning to look into Y-90 treatment resources, evaluation processes, and comprehensive care pathways available at hospitals in China — often through cross-border medical service platforms such as DengYueMed.

What Is Y-90 (Yttrium-90)?

Y-90 is a radioactive isotope that emits high-energy beta radiation, producing sustained radiation-induced damage within tumor cells. Treatment is typically delivered through Selective Internal Radiation Therapy (SIRT) or Transarterial Radioembolization (TARE), in which doctors use interventional catheters to guide Y-90-loaded microspheres directly into the hepatic artery feeding the tumor.

Because liver tumors draw most of their blood supply from the hepatic artery — while healthy liver tissue relies more heavily on the portal vein — the radioactive microspheres tend to concentrate preferentially in tumor tissue rather than in surrounding healthy liver.

Key characteristics of Y-90 treatment include:

• Radiation doses concentrated primarily within the tumor
• Comparatively limited impact on healthy liver tissue
• A localized, targeted treatment approach
• The potential to be combined with immunotherapy or targeted therapy

Compared with conventional external beam radiotherapy, Y-90 allows for more precise control over how radiation dose is distributed within the liver, which is why it has become an increasingly important option for carefully selected patients.

Which Liver Cancer Patients May Be Suitable for Y-90 Treatment?

Y-90 is generally considered for patients with unresectable liver cancer, or for those who aren’t good candidates for local ablation therapies — particularly people with intermediate- to advanced-stage hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).

Common clinical indications include:

• Large or multifocal tumors that cannot be surgically removed
• Selected BCLC stage B or C patients
• Patients with portal vein tumor thrombus
• Patients with limited response to, or recurrence after, TACE
• Bridging therapy for patients awaiting liver transplantation

Not every patient is a suitable candidate, however. Before treatment, patients typically go through a thorough evaluation, including:

• Liver function testing
• CT or MRI imaging assessment
• Hepatic arterial vascular mapping
• Lung shunt fraction (LSF) testing

These evaluations help physicians confirm whether a patient is a good fit for the therapy and allow them to design an individualized dosing strategy.

Why Is Y-90 Treatment in China Receiving More Attention?

Y-90 treatment was historically concentrated in major cancer centers across Europe and the United States. In recent years, however, China has advanced rapidly in comprehensive liver cancer care, particularly in areas such as:

• Interventional radiology techniques
• Imaging navigation and dosimetry evaluation
• Multidisciplinary team (MDT) care
• Combined immunotherapy approaches for liver cancer

A number of major tertiary hospitals and international cancer centers in China have since established Y-90 treatment programs with increasingly standardized workflows, including pre-procedural vascular mapping, MAA lung shunt testing, personalized dosimetry calculations, SPECT/CT or PET imaging evaluation, and post-treatment response monitoring.

Chinese physicians have also been exploring combined treatment strategies that pair Y-90 with immunotherapy and targeted therapy. At the 2025 ASCO GI Conference, a retrospective study from China reported that Y-90 resin microsphere SIRT, combined with lenvatinib and a PD-1 inhibitor, achieved the following results in patients with large or massive advanced hepatocellular carcinoma:

• Objective Response Rate (ORR): 73.3%
• Disease Control Rate (DCR): 90%
• Complete Response (CR): 20%

The study also reported manageable overall safety, with no grade 4/5 severe adverse events observed. Results like these are drawing growing international interest in China’s capabilities in comprehensive liver cancer treatment.

How Safe Is Y-90 Treatment?

Y-90 is generally regarded as a relatively localized treatment, and most patients tolerate the procedure reasonably well. Common side effects can include fatigue, abdominal pain, nausea, loss of appetite, and temporary fluctuations in liver function.

Serious complications are relatively uncommon, but careful evaluation by an experienced medical team remains essential. If a patient’s lung shunt fraction is too high, for example, radioactive material could affect the lungs — which is why pre-treatment lung shunt testing is such a critical step. Patients with weaker baseline liver function also require close monitoring and supportive care after treatment. Ultimately, hospital experience, dosimetry planning, and post-procedure management all play a major role in treatment outcomes and safety.

Why Are More International Patients Considering Y-90 Treatment in China?

Interest in China isn’t driven by the technology alone. China has built up substantial experience managing complex liver cancer cases, including HBV-related HCC, massive liver tumors, and advanced-stage disease. Hospitals increasingly emphasize multidisciplinary treatment involving interventional radiology, medical oncology, hepatic surgery, radiation oncology, and imaging specialists, all working together to build individualized treatment plans.

For some international patients, shorter waiting times and access to broader combination treatment strategies have also become meaningful reasons to consider care in China.

DengYueMed: Connecting International Patients With Chinese Medical Resources

For patients based overseas, the real challenge often isn’t discovering that Y-90 exists — it’s figuring out the practical details: which hospitals offer the treatment, whether they’re a suitable candidate, whether combination therapy with immunotherapy or targeted therapy is an option, how to submit medical records for physician evaluation, and how to coordinate cross-border treatment logistics.

DengYueMed works to connect international patients with medical resources in China, helping overseas patients better understand the advanced cancer treatment options available there. Several hospitals across China currently offer Y-90 treatment programs. For patients interested in learning whether they may be candidates, understanding the experience of Chinese hospitals, or exploring the evaluation and travel process, further information and medical coordination support are available through DengYueMed.

This article is intended for general informational purposes and does not constitute medical advice. Patients should consult a qualified oncologist or interventional radiologist to determine whether Y-90 treatment is appropriate for their individual case.