New treatment in the UK,currently on trial.

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Women's healthMen's healthCancer successfully treated in new procedure
Radioactive beads target liver cancer
PrintShare SendThu 1 Sep, 2011 04:00 pm BST

© Matthew Power/SWNS.com A man gravely ill with cancer has received a new lease on life after undergoing pioneering treatment to kill the tumour in his body.

In a procedure lasting just two days, Brian Brooks, 72, had tiny radioactive resin beads injected into his bloodstream to target liver cancer.

Mr Brooks had been diagnosed with bowel cancer that spread to his liver, and was given less than a year to live.

He underwent a procedure called radioembolisation, which is part of the Foxfire trial at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge.

Following the innovative procedure, and subsequent chemotherapy, the cancer is now in remission.

Advanced bowel cancer is difficult to treat, because of the size and location of the tumours makes them difficult to remove or target with radiotherapy.

Radioembolisation delivers powerful radiation through the bloodstream and directly into the tumour.

The radioactive particles are absorbed into the tumour via its blood supply, and then proceed to kill the cancerous cells, while keeping healthy cells alive.

After successfully treating the liver tumours, Mr Brooks underwent chemotherapy for his colon tumour.

"I was given a death sentence, it's a very difficult thing to get your head around," Mr Brooks told the Daily Telegraph.

"Obviously there is always the risk that the cancer can come back but I am now in remission and that is something that the doctors did not believe was possible."

Mr Brooks was one of about 40 patients who received the treatment as part of the Foxfire trial, which launched 18 months ago.

Doctors are hoping to recruit a total of 500 suitable patients to undergo the new treatment.