has anyone heard of this procedure and if they do it in the uk?
H
Hi tracy,
Sorry about first post don’t know what happened there!
I just googled Sirt had a quick read may be of some help to you.
Denio x
I also had a quick google and read and it sounds like this is a treatment for secondary liver cancer from colectoral cancer or for primary liver cancer. I couldn’t see any mention of it being used for liver secondaries from breast cancer???
Jane
I too had a quick google and rather than incur the wrath of the moderator I pm’d her to ask if I could post a very helpful link. So far no answer so pending that reply i googled Selective Internal Radiotherapy and the site I found was a little way down the first page there is a site with a pdf and although it is foreign (german I think) the pdf is in English so look for radiologie-lmu. That site does state it is indicated in breast cancer that has spread to the liver.
Dawnhc
link referred to above is:
radiologie-lmu.de/downloads/selektive-interne-radio-therapie-sirt-/information-sirt/view.html
Thanks Dawn
Jane
yes thanks dawn even says what hospital they do it from which i couldnt find myself . wonder if this is any good for us liver birds , am certainly going to mention it when i go to the marsden .
I am pretty sure one of the Liverpool hospitals was conducting research into this. Will check again when I have more time.
Jenny.
Found this link too, although based in Baltimore …:
umgcc.org/sir-spheres/about_sirt.htm
Am going to have to investigate this too and see whether it could be an option for me, don’t suppose it will be, but have to explore all avenues. Sure my onc will be less than pleased with me when I bring this up!!!
Love
Dawn
x
Just read Dawnhc comments and links and it looks VERY interesting to me. If I am reading it right, says if liver is inoperable then SIRT is an option. Thinking of sending link or letter and copy of it to my Onc and getting second opinion from Kings College London.
Can’t really see my Onc being up for this, but as said above, I need to explore and find out. What does anyone else think that has read it.
Thanks
Dawn
x
I don’t have live rmets but if I did I’d want to know: what is the progresion free survival data? Does the procedure improve quality of life? What is the the data on overall survival (the article says the procedure ‘may’ prolong life…more information needed.)
It seems to me in general that as we search for new tretaments that these are the three questions we should constantly ask, and be honest about the answers.
Hope you can find out more Dawn: good luck in your search for answers.
Jane
Hi All
I did some research on this - it seemed very mixed, on one hand really encouraging trial with multiple cancers including MBC led to FDA approval, on other not recognised in US by some insurance companies…and looks like there could be nasty side effects if it gos wrong (eg death from radiation pneumonia) . looks like it is done in the US and in Germany from their website, but I couldnt see anything in UK. It does look really interesting for those of us with liver mets.
We need to find somewhere in UK that will do this or someone who has had it…I am going to ask my oncologist next time. Suspect he will dismiss it, but I am genuinely curious, as similar treatments for prostate cancer are incredibly effective…
cathy
katherine , if you go to the link dawn gave and scroll right through you will see the uk hospitals that seem to carry out SIRT XXXX
Hi All
This is the list of hospitals that seem to do SIRT from the link dawnhc gave:
European Hospitals that offer SIRT
Leicester Royal Infirmary, Leicester, Leicestershire, England
Royal Surrey Hospital, Guildford, Surrey, England
Freeman Hospital, Newcastle, England
The Hammersmith Hospital, London, England
The Kings College Hospital, London, England
Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München, Deutschland
Universitätsklinikum Aachen, Deutschland
Clinica Universitaria, Universidad de Navarra, Pamplona, Spanien
Hospital San Jaime, Alicante, Spanien
UZ Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgien
Jules Bordet Institute, Brussels, Belgien
Allgemeines Krankenhaus Wien, Universitätskliniken, Wien, Österreich
So gonna have to put in a query to couple of London ones and Guildford I think.
Kay, do you reckon that the Prof might do stuff at the Royal Surrey Hospital in Guildford, is it worth asking him about this?
Take care all
Dawn
xx
oh thanks Dawn and Tracy
Actually thats good to know they do in the UK…it means it could happen, these treatments are so expensive that the idea of having to fund german medical treatments seems impossible.
Dawn i definitely think it miight be worth asking the liver Prof, because you would think he would know the people who do this.
i am not sure its a goer for me at all as I have bone mets (which are controlled at moment) but it sounds interesting.
Cathy
Certainly sounds very interesting though I also feel quite cautious about it. I suspect if it was an option for me, someone would have already mentioned it, given that it is offered at the Royal Surrey in Guildford. The prof will definitely know who is doing this, Dawn - his NHS base is there.
The Hammersmith have some info on it - hhnt.org/liverandpancreas/information_patients/sirtex_treatment/index.htme
and
hhnt.org/liverandpancreas/Info_doctors/treatment/index.htm
It does say though that “we have pioneered the use of microspheres (local radiation therapy) for the treatment of unresectable liver cancer which has failed to respond to any conventional chemotherapy”. So it sounds as if it is only done if chemo isn’t working. I think they mean SIRT when they are talking about microspheres.
Are you intending to follow it up Dawn?
Kay xx
Just bringing this thread back up to the top - has anyone learnt any more about SIRT?
Kay x