SIRT Yttrium 90, Radiolabeled Antibodies and Dickey Wicker

Over at a financial forum... PirateInvestor commented: "You hate to get news on friends because it is always bad news. Have a good friend who was on the cusp of the 5 year survival for the big "C" and was diagnosed with it on  lungs and leg. Weekly trips to Mayo for treatments are holding things at bay, but then it pops up somewhere else. Has a lot of hope and keeps fighting.  I'm hoping something new will come along that will zap those tumors without poisoning the body."

We Nattered: Depends on the nature of his/her C.  SIRT with Y90 has been around awhile. Selective internal radiation therapy using Isotope yttrium-90 microspheres made of glass or resin.  Radioactive half life of the Yttrium is 2.5 days. Most often utilized in patients with unresectable hepatic or metastatic (colorectal or neuroendocrine) cancer. Google the term SIRT Y90 and selective radioembolization.

There are side effects as they have yet to utilize them with radio labeled anitbodies.  This is were we apply genetic coding in the form of monoclonal antibodies which are man made and specifically target a specific molecular target on certain cancer cells. This would be like a homing device on a cruise missle to drop the radioactive payload on target, terminating with extreme prejudice while minimizing civilian or collateral damage.  This technology is utilized for treatment of non Hodgkin lymphomas that are unresponsive to other treatments.

The caveats are: the specific cancer genome your friend is afflicted with, has to have been cracked AND even bigger, their doctors or managed care provider are willing to provide and fund such "RADICAL" treatment..  Advancements in this field have been hampered by the Dickey Wicker provision on the 2009 Omnibus Act.  Thank you Shrub Jr., Obama, the right wing and moral majority for withholding Federal funding for a potential path to multiple cures in our lifetime.  Wishing your friend the best.